


In Medias Res

by potionwine



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-05
Updated: 2012-05-05
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:25:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potionwine/pseuds/potionwine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Straight 'in the middle of things'. Kaoru has been seeing one of his host club colleagues on the sly. Everything has now come to a head and it's time to decide the course of the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Interminable Wait

### THIS INTERMINABLE WAIT

_"All who make wishes are the same. When one wish comes into conflict with someone else's wish, then one must make a choice. Either abandon one's own wish… or crush the other's wish for the sake of your own." – Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Volume 24, Chapitre 187_

Kaoru refreshes the page.

There is no new mail in his inbox.

He refreshes it again, unable to stop his heart from plummeting in disappointment or his finger from inflicting this pain on himself. To distract himself, he flips through his design manuals, assorted notes and his portfolios of photographs and drawings. Of late, it has been getting harder to study – regardless, Kaoru knows better than to jeopardize his chances of professional success in any way.

He knows better, because he must get to the point where he is larger than life.

To become no longer human but a character whose every quirk is accepted and every sin forgiven – he doesn't mind being at once publicly excoriated and beyond reproach, at once known by everybody and unknown by everyone, if only, if only…

_If only._

It doesn't keep him occupied for long. Nothing does.

There is the all-consuming obsession and there is him, helpless to resist being eaten up. There is the agonizing wait and the torturous anticipation, there is the need and the want and this is the unhealthiest addiction Kaoru has ever willingly chosen.

Refresh.

_Is this worth it?_

He lowers his head to the desk and closes his eyes.

It is within his power to stand up now and march to wherever Hikaru is to ask that Hikaru lend him his strength, to demand that Hikaru save him from himself.

_Please._ Refresh.

The heating in the mansion isn't high enough. What feels cold, body or soul?

_Hikaru, help me; I can't pull away. Hikaru, Hikaru, Hikaru, Hikaru…_

Refresh.

He doesn't even want to pretend to be absorbed in something else – not the sketches scattered in front of him and not the music playing in the background and not life itself unless he gets what he wants.

Opportunities to sleep have been few and far between as the date for the show draws ever closer. If Kaoru were smart, he'd have gone to bed already. There's always the whole of tomorrow to refresh this one inbox, refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh –

"Kaoru!" Hikaru bursts into the atelier in his green pyjamas, hair mussed from sleep. "What?"

Kaoru sits up, startled. "What?"

"What 'what'? I heard you calling me!"

"H-Huh?"

"You were shouting at me, you woke me up, don't 'huh' me, idiot! Stop making so much noise! What's up with you? Why haven't you gone to sleep? You know we have to wake up at five thirty tomorrow to get to the office by six thirty latest, right? Preferably six fifteen?"

Kaoru blinks at him throughout his rant.

"Sorry," he says softly. "Go back to sleep, Hikaru. I love you, goodnight."

"Fuck it, I don't want your apology. I love you too, that's why I want to know why you've been acting weird these past few days! We've been busy with the show so I didn't think it was the right time to discuss it, but now I'm thinking I was wrong not to have confronted you earlier! The hell is going on?"

"Hikaru," Kaoru says, with a hint of a whine that gets his brother every time.

"Oh no you don't. Spill."

"Nothing. I'm tired too, I'll be going up to sleep soon, I promise."

"Of course you're tired! We've only been working more than 100-hour weeks! You think I haven't noticed you fiddling with your phone all the time, or using the computer before you go out and before you go to sleep? Kaoru, I don't wanna have to ask again – _what's up with you?_ "

Kaoru reaches a hand out for his brother; obligingly, Hikaru comes to hold him. He inhales Hikaru's familiar scent, hands fisting in the emerald silk fabric. "I don't know… how to… begin telling you about – about everything, I guess. I just – I don't even _need_ an email, I haven't emailed him either… I'm just – I want – I don't know."

"Try me," Hikaru challenges, a glint in his eyes.

Sighing in surrender, Kaoru grasps the screen and twists it forward and left to allow Hikaru to read the contents displayed on it.

Before taking hold of the mouse, Hikaru gives him a stern, displeased look, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Docilely, Kaoru leans into his brother's side as his brother clicks and scrolls through the messages in his email.

Uh, whoops, that one might have been a bit personal.

That one too.

And that one contains – Kaoru gasps in faint horror and switches off the monitor.

The screen blanks out in front of Hikaru.

"Don't worry about it, I can always wash my brain out later," Hikaru informs him flatly.

Kaoru winces.

"It's not like I didn't know. Obviously you were seeing someone and keeping it secret from me," Hikaru snorts.

"H-Huh?"

" _Yes, I knew_ , dumbass. Come on, Kaoru. I may not have known who it was but the other signs were pretty hard to miss. Then you've been getting edgier and edgier – apart from the show, there's only one other event happening in the next couple of months that we'd even be remotely interested in, so that cleared up the identity quick."

"Y-You're not angry?" Kaoru asks, hushed with disbelief.

" _Furious_ , but I took it all out on Tono and Haruhi."

"That's – !"

"Unfair to them, I know. They said they'd rather I vent my anger on them than hurt you anymore than you've already been. I'm super pissed off at you, Kaoru."

"I'm sorry," he says quietly.

"For not telling me," Hikaru clarifies for his benefit. "Four years, Kaoru. _Four._ My wildest guess was a year, and I'd thought that was pushing it! I can't _even_ – those emails go _four years back_ – that's too much by anyone's standards! If it were four months, it'd be difficult enough for me to forgive you!"

Kaoru repeats his apology miserably.

"Actually, if anyone'd asked me, I would've said that the only situation that I would find forgivable is if you found someone and didn't tell me for four _days_. Not weeks, not months, and absolutely not _years_. You want to know what the worst thing is? I _understand_ why you didn't say anything. When I put all the little puzzle pieces together and finally figured it out, I _completely_ understood because it's just like you to be such an _idiot_."

Kaoru ducks his head in disgrace. "Hikaru…"

"Don't use that tone on me, I'm so pissed off I want to scold you first! First you thought that you guys didn't have a chance in hell of making it last, so you thought it would be better that no one knows – not even us, friends so close that we're practically family, or me, _actual family_ – to stop things from getting awkward when the group of us meet up. Then it got serious and you didn't want me to know because you didn't want me to hate him when the time came for him to leave you. You didn't want us to break away from them, you know they're also important to me. Then you found out he was serious about it too, and it became your top priority to keep it from leaking to the press. By that time you were in so deep that it became harder and harder for you to tell me because you'd have to justify why you didn't just come out with it from the start! That's it, isn't it? Meanwhile both of you have been killing yourselves by working way too hard to become famous and accomplished in your own right to break free at last. Do you have _any idea_ how the rest of us felt when we found out – how we _still_ feel? How guilty do you think _I_ feel, that I let you struggle for four years without lifting a finger to help you?"

"Hikaru, it's not your fault! Don't take on that sort of guilt! The – the others all know as well?"

"Duh. When the engagement was announced, Tono said he caught sight of your face and knew immediately."

"I thought I hid it well," Kaoru laughs weakly.

"You did – you have. Too well. What are you going to do now?"

Astonished, Kaoru answers, "Nothing."

"Nothing?! You're just gonna let him marry her?"

"Yes. Honestly, it's enough that he tried to make us a possibility – he didn't have to, but he did."

"Kaoru, don't, don't just – !"

"Don't what, Hikaru? Don't give up? A part of me always knew we'd come to this."

"Fight for it!" Hikaru urges desperately. "You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Four years of commitment, four years of pain and secrecy, four years' worth of your life that you'd never ever get back. _Fight for it!_ "

" _I can't_ , Hikaru," Kaoru whispers hoarsely. "No matter what, I won't ruin his future like that. Didn't you read the emails? He was so close – this just happened to be the endgame move. If he marries, it's checkmate. He _wins_. For as long as we've known each other, he has wanted this – he's wanted this for longer than he's wanted me. I can't be selfish, I can't do that to him! I can't carry that burden of being the person who caused him to fail or caused him to give up his dreams! I won't be able to live with myself! Even if I go public with our relationship, what makes you think we'll stay together? What makes you think he'll ever forgive an underhanded move like that?!"

"I can't watch you do this," Hikaru pleads. "Don't make me watch you do this. I feel like I might die from heartache, and mine is merely secondhand."

Kaoru laughs again, impossibly sincere and gentle in the circumstances. "It's because it's new to you – a lot to process and feel. I've lived with this for years, Hikaru. Really, when I say that I saw it coming – it was inevitable – I mean it. Every word."

"Then _why_ did you get involved? Why did you let yourself walk this path when you knew it could only lead to this?!" Hikaru shakes him by the shoulders. "Why, Kaoru?!"

"Because." Kaoru grins sheepishly.

"Because what?! Does it deserve the price you're paying for it?!"

"It was incredible while it lasted."

Hikaru snaps his mouth shut with an audible clack. He fills his lungs with air and rids himself of the impulse to shout.

"Don't cry, Kaoru."

"Eh? I'm not crying," Kaoru replies, touching a few fingers to his eyes and showing them to Hikaru as proof. "See? Dry."

Hikaru stares at him silently.

_But you have, and you will._

"No," Kaoru contradicts. "I'll survive. I still have you, don't I?"

"Kaoru…"

"It's not the end of the world. Actually before this took place, I spent all my time being anxious about it – I thought it'd finish me for sure, I kept telling myself that I wouldn't make it if we came to an end, but now that it's upon me and I can't avoid it… I'm still alive, aren't I? It hurts and I'll take a while to heal, but I'll survive, Hikaru. D-Don't leave me, though, I really wouldn't – I need you. Please."

"That shouldn't even be a question."

"Okay then. Okay. That's all I need to know that it'll be all right one day. Let's go to sleep."


	2. So Close

### SO CLOSE 

_"The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That's the deal." – C.S. Lewis_

When Kaoru hears the name of the client specially requesting for him, he knows what she's here for and his first impulse is to either cry until he is exhausted of tears or run out there and rage at her until everything that is him burns up and leaves only a hollow shell.

 _It's not her fault_ , he reminds himself, _this marriage is arranged for her as well. She also had no say._

Knowing that he _must_ go out to personally welcome and greet a customer of her status – the name she bears and the name she will bear make her a key figure in Japanese high society – he sends his assistant out to prepare tea and refreshments as he takes a moment to compose himself behind the closed doors of his office.

He can't _breathe_.

Hikaru's gone out to organise the runway for the show – to inspect the décor, lighting, acoustics, seating, and to confirm that overall construction work is going well within the time frame. There's no other person that Kaoru can send out in place of the company; it would be a grave insult for such a distinguished customer to be met by anyone who's not the boss. Rolling out the red carpet wouldn't be too much ceremony in this situation.

Picking up his sketchbook and a couple of drawing materials, he braces himself, slips a mask on and strides out confidently.

At the reception area, he sees her.

His artist's eyes take her in with a top-to-toe sweep. She is beautiful, slender, aristocratic, with features that give off an impression of shrewd intelligence and a tasteful dress sense. Her pedigree, Kaoru knows, is as flawless as the person she's going to marry. In short, the place beside him was carved for none other than her.

They've met before, briefly, and they need no introduction.

He smiles radiantly, hospitality on full blast. "Hayashida-san, congratulations! If I may be frank, since hearing of your engagement I have been waiting and hoping in my office that you will grace us with your honoured patronage."

She laughs, the sound attractive and charming. "Hitachiin-san, where else could I have gone? Not only is your company the top fashion house in Japan, but my fiancé is your close friend! In my eyes, there is nowhere more fitting than here to commission my wedding gown."

"Exactly, exactly. That is why I was keenly hoping that Hayashida-san would not snub our humble skills." He stretches out an arm gallantly, showing the way to one of their private consulting rooms.

She smiles graciously at him as she thanks him. "Hitachiin-san's skills are not so humble, I think. My fiancé speaks very highly of you – even after marriage, I should find myself unable to compete with his love for his ex-host club friends; all of you have long occupied the lion's share of his heart."

Kaoru feels a twinge of sympathy for her. "Don't say that. He is an honourable man. Though your union may be arranged, he will do right by you, as he has always done right by us."

"Your words are too kind, Hitachiin-san. It's easy to see why he is attached to you. Although, you are mistaken on one small point – I chose him."

Kaoru freezes for the slightest second before pushing the door open and guiding her into the room.

"Oh! I _was_ mistaken! I'm sorry for assuming that it was arranged, Hayashida-san. Please have a seat." He pulls out the chair and holds it for her.

"Yes, he caught my fancy and I requested the match; I was delighted when our fathers were of the same mind! Everything has worked out perfectly."

The assistant pours tea and serves it.

"I'm glad," Kaoru tells her, sitting in the chair opposite. "Not many people are able to live out their fairy tale romance."

"Isn't it," she agrees happily. "Your host club has done all of you credit – every single one of you is absurdly handsome, polite and well-groomed. I must say, he is rather a bit formal – did you know he refuses to call me Erisa despite our engagement? I thought many men are eager to call their future wives by name. Would you call your wife by name, Hitachiin-san?"

"Ah," Kaoru says courteously, "I would if I were given permission to do so."

"Permission!" she giggles. "Hitachiin-san _is_ formal! How unexpected for a maverick designer as Hitachiin-san."

"I just – it would not be appropriate of me otherwise." Kaoru lays the sketchbook on the table.

"I have given my permission," she points out. "Further, I am younger than him – in terms of seniority, there should be no problem with him addressing me by name. After all, he addresses Suou Haruhi-san familiarly. Oh, I know! Hitachiin-san is shy about these things because Hitachiin-san prefers older lovers, does he? All this talk about appropriateness."

Kaoru laughs. "I have no fixed preferences, Hayashida-san. Now, here is what I propose we do: you can tell me any ideas that you have in your mind for a gown – cut, fabrics, patterns, length, anything. You can also describe more generic or abstract concepts to me, for example you can tell me about a theme that you would like, or a particular mood or feeling that you want the dress to have. Alternatively, you can tell me other details of the wedding – the choice of colour and location and flowers. All of these will give me a good picture of what you are aiming for in terms of your gown and I can begin making detailed sketches for your perusal. We will have to ensure that your gown and the groom's tuxedo are compatible as well. When you finally decide on one, we will begin making it to fit your measurements; at every stage we will seek your approval before moving on. Is this acceptable to you?"

"…Oh, hmm, but what if I have no ideas?"

Mildly surprised, Kaoru recovers quickly. "That is uncommon, but it only goes to show what an uncommon lady Hayashida-san is indeed. Many women actually have very specific requests for their gowns – quite a number of them have spent a lot of time designing their dream gown – it makes our job quite easy, really. If Hayashida-san has no ideas, or for the customers who have insufficient ideas for their gown, we have a complete collection of lookbooks for you to flip though and draw inspiration from. As I mentioned earlier, we are able to give advice based on other circumstantial elements of your wedding; in addition, my brother and I are able to design a gown based on how you want to feel in it, or the image you'd like to project."

She leans back in her seat with a gleam in her eyes. "Hitachiin-san is very talented. It takes a true artist to capture emotion and translate it into material form."

"No, no," Kaoru chuckles. "It's a matter of practice too."

"I know what I want," she declares.

"Decisive," he says approvingly. "It is a trait that no doubt serves Hayashida-san well."

"It does."

Kaoru blinks.

"I should like Hitachiin Kaoru-san to design my gown, please."

"Yes, of course. Not to worry, my brother and I have a direct influence over every – "

"No, Hitachiin Kaoru-san alone, if it is possible. The design in its entirety."

Kaoru hesitates. "Hayashida-san, I assure you that my brother is richly talented and his artistic input is often invaluable."

"But I haven't met him."

"That is easily solved. Hikaru and I will – "

"That's quite all right, Hitachiin-san. I think your expertise will suffice."

"Of course," Kaoru capitulates. The customer is always right. "In that case, I will take full responsibility for the design of your gown. What sort of gown would Hayashida-san like to wear on her special day?"

She smiles. "From Hitachiin-san's long acquaintance with my fiancé, Hitachiin-san must know his taste better than I do, no?"

Kaoru smiles back. "Not at all. I wouldn't presume to – "

"At least half of his wardrobe must be selected by you," Hayashida-san estimates. "When I was in his room, I couldn't resist from peeking at his clothes – you know, to see for myself the types of clothes that a host would choose to wear. I noticed that many of them are from your clothing line."

"Our poor friends are constantly being drowned by the clothes we send them," he answers with palpable amusement. "They are walking advertisements, you understand. We don't know if they wear the clothes as a favour to us or if they actually appreciate the aesthetic of the brand."

"Even the clothes that are not of this brand seem to bear your influence," she observes.

"I'm afraid, that is the main drawback to being our friends. Especially with their physiques and striking appearances, they make perfect dress-up dolls."

"But does Hitachiin-san at least know my fiance's preferred 'aesthetic', as you put it?"

"I… daresay."

"Good, that's enough. For my gown, I want it to capture a feeling. Hitachiin-san may use your artistic liberty to design it however you wish, so long as you capture this feeling."

Kaoru nods amenably, beginning to scribble notes down on the sketchbook. "What feeling is this?"

"The feeling of being hopelessly, passionately, utterly in love with my fiancé."

It is difficult to write through the stabbing, suffocating pain in his chest; it's difficult even to grip the pen.

"My, Hayashida-san, this is an excellent feeling to be reflected in a wedding gown. Very devoted."

"Isn't it. Hitachiin-san will probably need to incorporate parts of my fiance's taste into the gown, that is why I asked. I don't want to be in love with any random man – it must be the person that my fiancé is – his likes and dislikes, his character, his future. Is this assignment beyond Hitachiin-san?"

_Yes, it is. How can I stay sane designing something like this?_

"No, I don't believe it is out of my range, no. I will draft some preliminary designs for you by your next appointment. If you will provide further details to my assistant, we will also liaise with the other wedding planners and organisers to make sure that the gown and tuxedo do not clash with the decorations and fit the purposes of the location."

"How comprehensive, Hitachiin-san, thank you."

Kaoru sees her out, bantering and joking and laughing all the while. The moment her car vanishes down the road, he calmly returns to his office to fall apart behind locked doors.

 _Fuck_ , he thinks, shivering in a curled ball on the floor, _she knows. Or at least suspects._

It feels unbearably cold in the office – recently Kaoru's always cold – but his legs won't support him to the thermostat. Overwhelmed and foolish, his eyes stay on the written description of the 'feeling' he is supposed to produce in the dress – what a cruel insult, victory stamped on her enemies' foreheads as a reminder of their loss.

Kaoru can't make this dress. He can't take on this commission. He'd already known it, just as he's known he couldn't turn her down. How can he sit there to daydream of the feeling when he needs to get over it? How is he to withstand the onslaught of memories or stand his ground against the crushing heartbreak?

With a whimper, he tucks his head into the arms crossed atop his knees and gives in to bleak despair.


	3. Endgame Move

### ENDGAME MOVE

_"I know that's what people say – you'll get over it. I'd say it, too. But I know it's not true. Oh, you’ll be happy again, never fear. But you won't forget. Every time you fall in love it will be because something in the man reminds you of him.” – Betty Smith_

" – ru! Kaoru!"

A hand lands on his shoulder, causing him to jerk in surprise.

"Sorry, what?" Kaoru focuses on his twin, fully alert.

With increasing frequency Kaoru has been lost in his thoughts; this is far from the first time that Hikaru has had to snap him back to the present, though with supreme forbearance Hikaru does not tell him off. Instead, his eyes glaze over with sadness whenever he catches sight of Kaoru, in a way that makes Kaoru feel immediately guilty – when Kaoru smiles at him to reassure him, it always seems to deepen that anguish rather than get rid of it.

"Don't go. Stay at home today," Hikaru implores, voice rough with pain. "We can say you don't feel well. Everyone will understand!"

"Yes, I know they will," Kaoru says softly.

"Nobody's expecting you to go, you know! None of us want you to be there – to – to go through this! More than anyone else, _we understand_!"

"Yes, I know."

Kaoru holds out his brother's watch to him. Hikaru continues to stare stubbornly, refusing to put it on. With a sigh, Kaoru takes one of his brother's hands and slides the watch up his wrist for him, clicking it into place. "Let's go."

Hikaru yanks him back. "No! I won't let you!"

Kaoru steps closer to him to touch his cheek.

"Hikaru, it's because all of you understand, that is why I must go," he explains. "I must go and change that understanding."

Puzzled and annoyed, Hikaru asks, "What?"

"If I don't go, it will be as if I don't support this marriage, and that's – "

"Isn't that the _truth_?! I sure as hell don't!" Hikaru snaps.

"I do," Kaoru states firmly. "I want you guys to stop worrying about me. I want to be there to show that I think it's a great idea. I want it to be made clear that this wedding _should_ be happening, and that there is no way on earth I will be standing in its way."

"Even going so far as to make the gown for that person?" Hikaru yells, boiling with rage. "Don't be fucking noble, Kaoru! Nobility is for fools!"

Kaoru laughs. "I was never that smart anyway."

"Kaoru!" Hikaru grabs him by the arms and shakes him desperately. His features are tortured with too many emotions that he cannot express, and, speechless, he shakes Kaoru again like he wishes Kaoru would _wake up_.

Kaoru flings himself at his brother to disarm him – then, he hugs Hikaru when he is temporarily subdued. "Listen, idiot: it may not look like I had a say in these events at all, but trust me, _I did_. I still do. In a reciprocal relationship, both people must have chosen to be in it. I chose, Hikaru. I knew the consequences. It was always my intention not to be a burden. I already told you: yes, I'm hurting terribly, but I also know it will pass. In the past weeks alone, it's not like I've been upset all the time. That's not the way emotions work – they come and go, high and low, even for people with clinical depression this is the case. So you see, all I need to do is look forward to the day where the heartbreak will be gone, and on that day I'll probably be shocked at the realisation that it'd been fading day by day without me noticing it."

Hikaru goggles a little.

Before he opens his mouth, Kaoru adds, "We've fought about the gown too much; I don't want to rehash that argument. It's pointless now since it was completed just yesterday. I know you hate that I had to do it, but I don't hate her, okay? Saying anything more is superfluous."

It had been the worse design Kaoru ever had to come up with, and he never wants to repeat the experience of creating it, whether in his mind or in physical form – the finished product is incomparably beautiful and he couldn't be more proud – in the end, it's a riot of feelings, really, reflecting the mess he is at the moment.

Kaoru strokes his brother's hair. "Let me do this. Please. Let me go there to let him go. Oddly enough, out of the group of us I might be the person who is happiest about this marriage – it's also fulfilling a dream that has become my own, you know. Although we've only been together for four years, I can't remember a time when I wasn't half mad from waiting for the heir to be announced."

Hikaru closes his eyes. "Don't smile. It's killing me."

Kaoru feels his own smile widen; obediently, he wipes it off. "Okay, I won't. You can open your eyes now."

Hikaru cracks his eyelid open a fraction to peek and it's so cute that Kaoru knows he'll break his promise. To cover it up he swiftly presses a kiss to Hikaru's cheek. "Thank you. I'm sorry for putting you through this, Hikaru. If I could wish for something to turn out differently, I'd wish for you to be spared from these negative, frustrated emotions."

"Don't," Hikaru warns sharply. "Stop giving too much. If you were given a wish, you should use it on yourself. Keep him by your side, or something."

"I wouldn't do that to him." Kaoru shakes his head ruefully. "And the seven of us will always be friends. Come on, it'll be awful if we're late."

.

\-------

.

Kaoru will admit that he was almost paralysed at the entrance to the graveyard. He doesn't want Hikaru to have to hold his hand, so he soldiers on to the family plot where the groom will pay his respects to his dearly departed mother before his wedding next week. A few of their friends are waiting for them.

"Kao-chan, Hika-chan!"

Honey and Mori come up to them and they greet each other warmly. Kaoru only hopes he can withstand their piercing scrutiny today, though they have been careful not to cause him discomfort with any overt expression of concern in front of outsiders. In private they are Kaoru's rock, in public they are the souls of discretion – honestly, he suspects they'd known all along.

"Where's Tono and Haruhi?" Hikaru swivels his head around to search the sparse crowd of people in muted shades of clothing.

"On their way," Mori informs them succinctly in that wonderful, steadfast manner that produces a helpful grounding effect.

Kaoru clutches the bouquet of flowers spasmodically. He'd thought long and hard about the selection and ultimately entrusted the entire project to Hikaru. Of course he remembers being told about the types of flowers favoured by the deceased matriarch, and being trained in the art of ikebana since birth, it's child's play to him to arrange an outstanding symphony of blossoms.

He'd found he couldn't do it. He can't – won't – show up Hayashida-san and the bouquet she is bound to bring. It's better for everyone for him to be forgetful or uncaring in this and in everything else.

After Haruhi and Tamaki arrive, they join the remaining member of their ex-host-club, who is with various family members and relatives chatting amongst themselves in low tones. Kaoru flicks his host switch on, still an invaluable skill set after all these years. It'd be lovely if the other ex-hosts would stop keeping tabs on him, no matter how covert the surveillance – it's making him unnecessarily nervous. He exchanges pleasantries with those present and solemnly gives his word to Hayashida-san that he will bring the gown to tonight's informal dinner for family and the innermost circle of the bride and groom at the Roi Grand Tokyo. The engaged couple has moved into the luxury suites in anticipation of the wedding banquet and the security around the hotel is outrageous.

As the groom's closest friends, they stay behind to accompany and support him while everyone leaves, presumably to tend to other matters and change before the party. Kaoru is aware that this is the first time in months that they have been in such proximity. They haven't spoken since the engagement was announced. Planning for a wedding of this scale is time-consuming and exhausting; the groom has been rushing around insanely, flying overseas and back and overseas again to tie up loose ends before taking a break for the mega-event and honeymoon. The others are aware of these relevant facts too – they keep trying to slip away to give Kaoru time alone… to do what? Talk it through? Confront him? Cry, scream, demand?

Kaoru doesn't need words.

He doesn't need an explanation either.

For four years this imminent end has loomed in their horizon, haunting and taunting him. They've never lied to each other about the direction of their relationship or their priorities and life goals. In his weakest moments Kaoru had tried to drown himself in his lover, to own his lover's body if nothing else, leaving bites and fingernail marks that he'd known he should not have left lest they be found out.

Everything there is to say, everything that can be said, Kaoru already knows and he accepts wholeheartedly. That they had so much time together is more than he had dared to imagine; that his lover kept faith despite being inundated with more admirers and proposals with each progressive year, that his feelings were sincerely returned –

It may not be _enough_ , but that's only because love is boundless and insatiable in its need.

In all aspects, to his immense credit, this lover has been… perfect.

Perfect _for Kaoru_ , that is. There's no other way to describe it.

Kaoru won't ever tell Hikaru that he knows (profound, etched-into-his-bones sort of knowledge) that there is no moving on from this. He will survive, yes, he will be happy and he will live, he may or may not find a new partner, he will pursue his bright future in fashion design with his brother, he will inherit his family's vast fortune and head the illustrious dynasty he is descended from.

He will do all of that, and everything that he does will come back to this.

With no gaps in his understanding of the situation, what purpose can words serve? In the course of their relationship, part of their compatibility came down to their mutual ability to appreciate each other's motivations on their own, to grasp the crux of things without outside assistance, they have never let words get in the way; why wreck it now by throwing a tantrum?

The others have snuck off in the meantime, claiming hunger and a thousand and one excuses. Great.

 _'Senpai'. 'Senpai'_ , Kaoru admonishes himself mentally like a malfunctioning tape recorder. _Attach 'senpai' to his name. Actually, just don't speak unless spoken to._

He lingers at the fringes, considering running to catch up with the others in the distance. Again, he scraps it because he wants to keep this friendship and running for whatever reason is going to convey the opposite message.

The black head is bowed slightly, eyes obscured by his fringe. It causes a dull ache within Kaoru to look at him, yet he can't turn away as if looking for one more instant, loving for one more minute, will make it ache less. Kaoru wonders whether he too feels a sense of loss.

The answer is yes – at least, Kaoru is ninety-nine point nine percent certain.

It's too arrogant to assume sole responsibility for inflicting this on him. Kaoru may have tempted him into this but he also chose and Kaoru knows he knows it. Nonetheless Kaoru wants him to know that, "I'm sorry."

A pair of carbon-black eyes is fixed on him.

Its intensity, its heat makes Kaoru the centre of the universe. The tingle that washes across his skin is poignant and familiar and Kaoru basks in it – for all it's worth, for the very last time.

"For the pain that you feel, I'm sorry. I never wanted to rob you of the opportunity to savour the taste of success," Kaoru says plainly. "The worst thing is I can't even bring myself to regret anything, and given a second chance I'd do it all over again."

With a faint tinge of amusement, "Would you?"

_If I experienced what it's like to have someone fulfill my hidden desires, it's only because you paid such attention to me that you basically read my mind. If I learnt how to ask for what I want, it's only because you taught me. If I graduated at the top of my cohort, it's only because you did. If I have the maturity to accept what I can't change, it's only because you do. If I know that I can cause change, if I know that I have the strength to conquer any challenge, if I know the meaning of patience, if my prospects are so glorious now, it's only because you showed me what I could do._

_It's only because of you that I –_

"Yes," Kaoru replies, and knows it to be true.

Saying nothing in response, his (ex-) lover lowers his eyes to the headstone of the tomb again, quietly contemplative. Kaoru notes that he seems unusually reluctant to leave his mother's grave – were Kaoru in his place he'd probably cling to the tranquil silence surrounding this small plot of land too, much better than facing the chaos of being the leading man in the 'wedding of the decade' (the media must love this label, having previously applied it to Honey's wedding, and Haruhi-and-Tamaki's).

"Come here, Kaoru."

Baffled, Kaoru complies.

"Which bouquet is yours?"

Kaoru's footsteps falter as his heart lurches dangerously.

"U-Um, that one." He points to it.

"… Hmm. No wonder I didn't recognise it. It doesn't look like your handiwork."

Damn it. It's come back to bite him in the arse. He knew he shouldn't have agreed when Tamaki wanted the seven of them to undergo ikebana lessons from his and Hikaru's esteemed grandmother. Before that, there hadn't been a single soul who could differentiate between the twins' creations and that'd suited Kaoru just fine.

Kaoru grins sheepishly, not forthcoming with any plausible justification.

A wickedly seductive eyebrow is arched at him. "How curious. You don't remember what flowers she liked?"

 _Nigella damascene, Polianthes tuberosa, Centaurea cyanus, Eschscholzia californica_ , the descendant of a celebrated ikebana master lists in his head, not needing the visual reminder of the bouquets from the rest of the family. _Please forgive me for lying through my teeth in front of your grave; I mean no disrespect._

"Did you tell me? It must have slipped my mind. Can only store so many things in my limited memory space, after all. Sorry, senpai."

The other eyebrow goes up – never a good sign.

Kaoru fights the instinctive urge to wince at the awkwardness of this term of address when they are alone. It sounds foreign on his tongue, which is stupid and demonstrates the extent of his ungainly ineptitude beside this person. It's not like he's ever stopped using this title for his senior for the most part.

"Falsehoods? Here? For shame, Kaoru."

_Why. Why are you doing this to me._

"Don't accuse me of lying," Kaoru says sourly. "Next time I'll make sure your mother receives the perfect arrangement. Here, if you tell me now I'll record it in my phone so I can refer to it."

Those _eyes_ , they see through him. "Liar."

Kaoru shakes his head in disbelief, unable to meet the gaze head-on. "Believe whatever you want to believe."

"Admit it," a strict command. "Admit that you knew which four flowers. Tell me that the botanical names immediately occurred to you. Say you spent days trying to incorporate them into your bouquet."

_No, I will not ask you to stay by my side._

Kaoru shrugs, chewing on his bottom lip and barely able to keep from falling to the ground to beg like he wants to.

The wind blows the leaves into a swirling dance; the two of them remain motionless.

"All four species are in Erisa-san's offering. I mentioned it only once to her."

 _Oh, that was fucking vicious._ Kaoru chokes out a helpless little laugh. _But I know what you're doing, I don't know if you will say yes,_ I don't want you to _and I won't risk having you answer._

He smiles and carefully pitches his tone to be mellow and free from pretense, "Congratulations, senpai. This is – _she_ is – really an excellent choice. From my short acquaintance with Hayashida-san I know she is meticulous and decisive, filled with qualities that you admire. Even if this marriage begins as a convenient tool to achieve a goal, she is the sort of person who will rapidly become a companion that you can't live without, a teammate while you navigate through life, an asset that will enrich you and never abandon you. Hayashida-san is that sort of person, senpai, and she picked _you_. Obviously I think highly of her taste. This union will be blessed, lasting and prosperous, only if senpai also commits yourself to it, so please do and don't worry about me. You'll always have me as a friend, I promise."

There is no visible reaction.

Kaoru is at his most soothing when he is allowed to touch; however it would be unspeakably ill-conceived in the circumstances and he resigns himself to the stifling air, heavy like their moods.

"Senpai, if we don't go now, we'll miss out on tea with the others." He marches to the gate and holds it open.

Inscrutably, the figure crouches to skim slender fingers across the name carved into the marble surface with an almost inaudible sigh. Kaoru doesn't rush him – his attempt to get them to leave was a mere ploy to end the deadlocked conversation and they both know it.

At last, "Let's go."

Kaoru trails behind, battling with the accursed longing to hold his hand all the way to the café.


	4. Checkmate

### CHECKMATE

_"Nothing you have not given away will ever really be yours." – C.S. Lewis_

"Oh, Kaoru/-kun/-san!" about a dozen voices exclaim in a chorus when the bride-to-be emerges from behind the changing screen, Kaoru standing at her back.

He smiles, pleased and proud, and bows in acknowledgement at the lavish compliments. It is flawless on her, as he'd known it would be from the fitting process. Hayashida-san had insisted on a test drive before the party, and they are ensconced in the plush dressing-room of her enormous bedroom suite with a group of women including the sisters and best friends of the bride and groom.

The ooohs and ahhhs do not cease as the magnificent wedding gown glitters beneath the light of the chandelier, marveled at from every angle by its applauding audience.

"And here's the jewellery to go with it," Kaoru announces, whipping out a velvet-lined box with a flourish. The bride-to-be gasps, flushes pink with joy and turns around for Kaoru to drape the dainty necklace around her.

When she is adorned with every item of jewellery painstakingly designed by the top artisans of the craft (with Kaoru's input, naturally), Kaoru goes to his bag to fetch pins to affix the veil and tiara to the elegant updo. Haruhi hands the tiny box to him and clasps his fingers surreptitiously, her face crumpling for a fleeting moment.

 _Don't_ , Kaoru tells her silently, knowing that he is transparent to her. _If somebody sees, it'll be disastrous._

She nods and actually offers to help him.

In another suite down the hall, maybe the groom-to-be has opened the clothes boxes that Kaoru had not the courage to personally deliver to him. Maybe he will be uninterested in trying them on; maybe Hikaru and the rest of the club will have to talk him into letting them check the fit for the final time. Will he know that Kaoru was the one who made it, stitch-by-stitch like a tailor instead of the couturier he is, even if Hayashida-san had implicitly banned him from designing it? Will he know despite the ample precautions that Kaoru had taken to erase any identifying traces of his workmanship?

The complete ensemble is _stunning_ on Hayashida-san.

Haruhi had been no less beautiful in her gown, but Hayashida-san has the advantage of height and a curvier figure than Haruhi. There's no possibility of mistaking this woman for a male.

As they are heaping praise on the bride-to-be, the bedroom door opens suddenly and men's voices are heard. Being the Roi Grand, of course Tamaki has the master key, but only one person would have the gall.

Hayashida-san barely manages to dash behind the screen before the groom appears in the doorway to the dressing-room, utterly barefaced and nonchalant about it. Kaoru has to force himself to breathe, because this – _this_ , typically inflames in him a whirlwind of lust and it's tacit permission, really, to wantonly jump his unfairly debonair partner to _make_ him lose his cool.

The women (Haruhi excluded) go into a frenzy to shield Hayashida-san from view.

"Kyouya!" Fuyumi-san rebukes. "It's unlucky for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony!"

He gets a glint in his eyes – his patented 'like I care' look with a deceptively polite smile. "Father has arrived and is waiting in the restaurant with our brothers. I am to escort Erisa-san down to dinner."

The women chase him away just as he squeezes the last syllable out. Some of them are unconvinced at the ability of the men to behave themselves in the suite and head out with him; another portion decides that they should seat themselves at the tables first; after an inordinate amount of hustle and bustle, Kaoru is the only person left in the dressing-room with Hayashida-san to assist her out of her gown and accessories.

Expertly, he lays the jewellery onto the cushions and unzips the dress for Hayashida-san, providing instructions on how best to remove it before rounding the screen to give her privacy.

When she passes it to him, he sets about hanging it up in a way that will afford it maximum protection before the big day.

"Kaoru-san," she requests amidst the rustle of clothing, "will you style my hair for the dinner?"

"Sure. Whenever you're ready."

She comes out in a gorgeous sapphire blue cocktail dress. "Thank you. You have such skill with the hair iron."

Kaoru laughs and indicates the chair by the mirror. "I've undergone training, that's all."

Hayashida-san sits, and he begins to separate her hair into manageable sections and curls one of those sections around the iron. Three-quarters through, she says, "Kaoru-san, I do not want you there at the ceremony."

Kaoru almost burns his fingers.

"Nor the dinner reception."

He sighs, placing the iron on the dresser and pulling up a chair. "Hayashida-san, Kyouya-senpai is one of my best friends."

She regards him with disdainful scorn. "He's more than that. Earlier I was uncertain but now there is no doubt in my mind. I know I am not unattractive, he is persistently distant and unmoved – I began to suspect he might have someone else in his life; I know for a fact that the women whose names are associated with him are products of the media's rumour-mongering, so although it was unthinkable, I suspected the members of your infamous school club, eventually narrowing it down to you."

At a loss as to what to say, Kaoru takes in a deep breath and releases it slowly.

"I can see why he liked you. You are not without appeal," she concedes, catching Kaoru off guard. "However, that does not entitle you to have him and it is not a valid reason for me to bow out. He has no future with you; you must see that, Kaoru-san. He may not love me yet, but we are an excellent match and love can be cultivated with time and proximity."

"I know," Kaoru tells her, keeping any compassion in check in order not to sound condescending. Of all the people on earth, he has extensively observed Kyouya and he knows what factors will boost Kyouya's rate of success. These factors essentially coincide in her – no, they _are_ her. She is his success personified, because Ootori-sama has unequivocally pledged to her parents that the family business will go to Kyouya and her. "I'm not a threat, Hayashida-san. I will not sabotage this wedding, and I refuse to be involved with people who are married."

"Absent yourself from the entirety of the wedding, and when I am Mrs. Ootori I will believe you."

 _She's afraid that Kyouya will pick me over her at the last minute_ , Kaoru realises. _That's true, such a scandal would be too huge to live down. God, the fear must be eating her alive._

"I understand. You have my word," Kaoru says solemnly. "I will make myself scarce."

"Good. Hurry, please, I don't want to keep my future father-in-law waiting any longer."

.

\-------

.

"Kaoru."

Unexpectedly, someone pulls Kaoru into a big, comforting embrace, large hands bracing Kaoru's back and head gently.

"Mori-senpai…" Kaoru mumbles, feeling himself crumble and shatter apart against his will. When he tries to escape with an edge of delirious urgency, Honey wraps himself around him from the back and traps him there.

This is exactly what Kaoru had to avoid at all costs. He tears himself away by pushing them none too kindly, apologising for the rudeness of his actions without regretting the actions themselves. The image is wrong and tacky, sending out the impossibly crass messages that he's a victimised martyr when he's anything but. Of all the days his seniors could have hugged him and he'd have loved it, why now?

Quickly, nervously, Kaoru scans the area. The informal dinner is in full swing, and the guests are milling about in _Haiku_ , the traditional Japanese restaurant located by the lobby of Roi Grand. The premises are booked out for the day, giving them free rein to open the shoji screen separators, wander the tatami rooms, and stroll around the wooden deck that leads to the outdoors Zen rock garden.

Thankfully, they are concealed at the far edge of the garden so no non-club member had witnessed it – as usual, the seniors are unimpeachable in their actions.

"What's everyone doing here?" Kaoru asks tiredly, lowering himself onto a stone bench. "You guys should know better. Some of you go back in, please."

"You look awful, Kaoru," Haruhi says bluntly, a frown creasing her forehead.

"I don't, you know. It's just your mind adding extra colour to your perception."

"You _really_ do," Hikaru asserts.

"It's work," Kaoru explains. "Three months is a really narrow turnaround period for a commission such as that."

"Because she made you design the jewellery and even the flower arrangements, for fuck's sake. The bridal bouquet, the corsages, the boutonnières – who the hell does she think you are?! Why doesn't she just ask you to design the ballroom or, hey, let's throw in the architecture of the shrine too!"

"Hikaru, we've – "

"No, actually, who the hell does she think she is?!"

"A Hayashida, that's who!" Kaoru hisses. "A soon-to-be-Ootori. Business is business, okay? These two families are fucking good business, I am a fucking ace practitioner of ikebana and an even better fashion designer, so shut. up. about. it."

Mori grips Hikaru's shoulder to cut off his reply. At once, Hikaru sags with remorse and misery, causing the same feelings to flare within Kaoru instantly.

"Sorry," they both say simultaneously, and Hikaru grabs one of Kaoru's hands to tug him upwards into a smothering hug.

Kaoru wriggles out of it. "Stop that. All of you have to stop doing that; I can't handle it."

"You used to wish we'd do it more often," Tamaki whispers sorrowfully.

Kaoru has to smile at that. "I still do. I absolutely still do. One day I will make up for this, so you'd better be prepared to be hugged to death, Tono."

He doesn't accept it, Kaoru senses that he doesn't –

Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru, Honey and Mori launch a coordinated offensive, locking him in with nowhere to go.

In the middle of the group hug, Kaoru quips with the extraordinary calmness of impending hysteria, "Are you trying to make me cry?"

"It's okay now, Kao-chan. Everything's okay now. If you want to cry, you can."

"Great, Honey-senpai. I'll do that when I go home today. In fact, I'll go home this second – the dinner's practically over, isn't it? I don't have to stay and drink, but you guys feel free to stay, okay?"

Tamaki _is_ crying, Kaoru notes with detached horror, and so is Hikaru. Haruhi looks close to it while the seniors are drawn and ashen.

"Hey…" Kaoru breathes, patting them lovingly and planting a kiss on their cheeks. "Seriously, we can't do this here. Come on, stop. Get a hold of yourselves. We can't jeopardise Kyouya's wed – Kyouya-senpai's wedding. He's your friend too, you know, you can't take my side over his."

He fishes in his pocket for a packet of tissues and wipes their tears for them. "I'll stay and get drunk with you, all right? I'll stay. Please, please stop."

They do, but they won't unhand him.

"Let us hold you for a minute more," Tamaki insists, and Kaoru humours them because he loves them so much it hurts.

When they finally split apart, they all giggle a little. Kaoru ensures that they are presentable – adjusting their ties, rearranging their hair, straightening their jackets, smoothing out Haruhi's dress – before allowing any of them to make their way back in.

Hikaru halts his fussing with another bear hug and a kiss that transcends time and space.

"Yes, yes," Kaoru says lightly, taking on an inquiring demeanor when Hikaru clutches on even tighter.

"Take care, Kaoru," Hikaru orders, voice muffled.

"… Huh?"

"Take care of yourself," Mori echoes affectionately.

They drag him indoors and start playing a commoners' drinking game suggested by Tamaki.

.

\-------

.

Kaoru inches his zabuton closer to Haruhi and slumps sideways on her in exhaustion. She supports his weight with the ease of long practice, accustomed to this sort of behaviour from the twins.

"Kaoru," Haruhi says in an undertone. "After this blows over, let's go on a holiday?"

Warmed to the core, Kaoru grins at her. "You bet. I want to go to Argentina."

She nods. "I'll arrange it."

"Haruhi," he murmurs, watching the other people around the table, "why are you so amazing?"

"I'm not the person who designed that gown," she says dryly, also keeping her eyes on the Ootoris. Hayashida-san's friends have left and apart from the two families soon to be bound by matrimony, only the ex-host-club members remain lounging about lazily. Hayashida-san is glued to Kyouya's side, and Kaoru knows that Haruhi feels sympathetic towards her as well. At least, neither Kaoru nor Haruhi has had to settle for the indifferent scraps of a lover's heart and they have first-hand experience of the blistering frostiness Kyouya is capable of.

Earnestly, Kaoru asks, "You liked it?"

She nods again and flicks a glance to her husband, who is miraculously chatting _quietly_ with Hikaru and Mori. "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. Sometimes I think clothes can be a bit shallow, but when I see yours and Hikaru's creations, I can understand their purpose… I know why people feel good in them."

Kaoru laughs. "Perfect art has no _purpose_."

Brown eyes look at him knowingly. Too simply for a truth this frightening, she says, "You're becoming a piece of art yourself, Kaoru."

He falls silent.

"Isn't it? Infinitely beautiful but ultimately impractical, a luxury but not a necessity, waiting for the one collector who will treasure you but subjecting yourself to their power to keep you or give you up."

"… Haruhi, that was unbelievably hurtful."

"I'm very angry at you," she informs him candidly. The screen of Tamaki's phone flashes with an incoming call; she hands it to him along with her phone (for whatever reason) and he excuses himself promptly, passing the waiter who walks in with more sake to be served to the two families – over the course of the dinner, they must have hammered out several almost-contracts for the export of medicines to the countless foreign countries in which Hayashida-san's family has links with.

"Papa, will it be all right for Father-in-law-sama and Kyouya-san to come to the international industry convention next month? We can ship globally but Father-in-law-sama will need local means of transporting the medicines to the hospitals. Father-in-law-sama, do you think it will be useful for you to meet representatives from locally-based – "

Ootori-sama values Hayashida-san and she, him; on her father's side she is a shipping heiress, on her mother's side she is the princess of Japan's foremost air freight company – she brings a lot to their family and gets as much in return.

" – Excellent idea, my daughter! Yoshio-san, it will be held in Belgium this year on the – "

The transactional nature of their conversations is obvious even to untrained ears – the parents of the bride and groom have treated this as a gigantic business negotiation.

"My, my, Erisa, isn't it too soon? That's only two days after you and Kyouya-kun return from your honeymoon! Don't you lovebirds want to take your time after looking forward to this wedding for so long? I'm sure in future – "

The loose curls piled atop Hayashida-san's head bounce vigorously. "No, Mama, it isn't too soon. Kyouya-san and I are looking forward to making a life together more than anything!"

Mama Hayashida laughs. "Is that so, Kyouya-kun? Do you wish to go?"

"How can I pass up such a golden opportunity?" Kyouya is on autopilot, host mode cranked up to the max in a way that never fails to make Kaoru smile. Maybe he finds this insincerity funny precisely because he is one of a handful of recipients of Kyouya's sincerity.

Papa Hayashida joins in with a hearty, full-bodied belly laugh, Hayashida-san contributes with her tinkling crystal-glass chirp.

"Not that we don't want to get married!" she qualifies as the fusuma slides open to admit Tamaki.

Honey scoots along the tatami mats to them. "Kao-chan, listen: no matter what,you will _always_ have us."

"Come hell or high water," Hikaru agrees with an unholy smirk, withdrawing a slim clearfile from inside his suit jacket.

Perplexed and rattled, Kaoru looks to the others frantically.

Kyouya's dark eyes are waiting, craving, like a starving orphan for a morsel of food or a prisoner towards the limitless blue sky –

Tamaki inclines his head, almost imperceptible.

Time slows down, distilled into a blazing starbright moment of blinding illumination.

Everything, _everything_ …!

The reason Hikaru hadn't gone on a murderous rampage, the reason no one feels the slightest need to pick sides, the reason Kyouya had dallied at the graveyard, the reason it'd seemed just like old times at the café earlier, the reason for that scene in the rock garden –

_Oh my god._

Kyouya had been saying goodbye to his mother; Kaoru's friends had been _saying goodbye_ too – they knew Kyouya was going to choose him and take him away to the ends of the earth to avoid what will no doubt be a grisly, blood-soaked furore –

Kaoru shoots to his feet. "I'm not feeling well I'm going home thank you for your generous hospitality Ootori-sama and both Hayashida-samas!"

It does not manage to quell Kyouya's, "I'd like to get married, but unfortunately not to you."

God, Hayashida-san's _face_.

"Not to you in a week's time, he means, because a week is too long for Kyouya-senpai to wait to be with you!" Kaoru cries, willing Kyouya to sit back down. "If he could he'd marry you right this – "

"Shut it, Kaoru," Hikaru says kindly, resisting Kaoru's efforts to drag him away.

The Ootoris and Hayashidas are swiftly going from bewildered to incensed.

Seeing that his brother won't budge, Kaoru knows he has to leave himself and he strides to the exit while trying to show the requisite courtesy. _Please, there must still be some way to salvage this situation!_

"Sign it, Kyouya-senpai."

Kaoru pivots back in a flurry as Hikaru casually tosses the clearfile on the table and clicks his pen with a distinct note of triumph.

"What – what is that?" Kaoru asks fearfully.

Lightning-fast, Kyouya leafs through the pages and, satisfied, inscribes his signature.

"Tachibana-san will get a copy of it before the day is out," Hikaru guarantees.

"What is that?" Kaoru demands.

"Your pre-nup," Hikaru says cheerfully. "You wouldn't sue Kyouya-senpai even if he bankrupted you and left you for dead, so we devised a way for me to be a party to the contract instead."

Kaoru lunges for the document.

Mori snatches it out of his reach and vanishes from the room in the time it takes to blink.

"Are you mad?! Why did you sign it?! Mori-senpai, give it back!"

The screens part to reveal Kyouya's team and not Mori. They bow and Tachibana says, "Kyouya-sama, the car is waiting."

Kaoru backs away in panic when Kyouya moves towards him.

"Hikaru, dissolve the contract."

"No way."

"If you love me, dissolve it!"

Kyouya interrupts smoothly, "The _existence_ of this contract is proof that we love you."

Tamaki stands at his back, the two kings of the old host club united. "And it is _the only reason_ we consented to let Kyouya test you for three whole months while we stood by the sidelines and watched you suffer."

"… Test?" Kaoru's breath hitches.

"A wager, Kao-chan," Honey explains. "Did Kao-chan really think that Hika-chan or the rest of us wouldn't confront Kyou-chan when we found out?"

Kaoru glares at them.

"Kyou-chan wanted to see how Kao-chan would react when forced to choose between his welfare and yours, even if Kyou-chan ignores you, even if the pain must have been intolerable, even if Kao-chan had the option to be petty and take revenge. In exchange for our inaction, if Kao-chan leaked this information to the press then it serves Kyou-chan right and he won't blame you, or, if Kao-chan stays true, then Kyou-chan not only signs that contract but spends this lifetime making it up to you." Honey finishes rather threateningly, and Kyouya dips his head in affirmation of that vow.

Hikaru chortles. "To be fair, Kyouya-senpai, it was totally rigged. A few times I couldn't take it and actually tried to get him to give up, but really I knew Kaoru would pass."

"So did I." Kyouya smiles, a little smug and a little soft. Breezily, he states, "If I am to give up my entire inheritance for you, I had to be certain."

"Hikaru, how could you do this to me?" Kaoru whispers.

"Don't worry, I'll never forgive myself," Hikaru's voice cracks sadly. "It killed me to have to pretend that I didn't know what Kyouya-senpai was doing, and you probably didn't notice only because you were so zoned out from heartbreak."

"Not that!" Kaoru snaps, livid. "Months! Months I told you how important this marriage is and months I pleaded with you to let it happen! How could you do this to me?! Are the things that are important to me just so trivial to you?! You should have talked him out of it!"

Kaoru turns on his friends. "All of you should have talked him out of it! Do you have no sense at all?! Tono, don't you know what such a decision would mean?!"

"You've placed me above everything else," Kyouya points out, "why can't I do the same for you? If you won't stretch your hand out to take what's yours, I'll have to come to you then, won't I?"

Game over.

Ootori-sama is seething, Fuyumi-san is crushed and her brothers are too shocked to be pleased that Kyouya has taken himself out of the competition. Hayashida-san's parents are gobsmacked, and Hayashida-san…

Her expression is indescribable, only that she _hates_ him with every fibre of her being.

"Don't do this!" Kaoru begs mindlessly, knees buckling. "Don't do this, please! Kyouya-senpai, apologise to your father! Apologise to Hayashida-san! It's not worth it! Don't throw away your future!"

"You are my future. Stop with the 'senpai'."

"I can't carry this guilt, why can't you understand this?! I _can_ move on, but I can't live with the knowledge that I've caused you to fail! What about your family? Fuyumi-san is crying, I know you care!"

Tamaki bends down to bring himself level with Kaoru, pressing his hands to either side of Kaoru's head to lift it and with his thumbs he tenderly brushes away – _tears? When had he started crying too?_

"Wrong," Tamaki corrects as Hikaru sidles up to them to cradle him. " _Wrong_ , Kaoru. What Kyouya wants is to succeed, and you are the one who will give him the best chance of success. The people that he values, the dreams that he pursues – they are as precious to you as they are to him."

"With Hayashida-san it isn't even a chance, it's a done deal! Kyouya-senpai will have _everything_! This is the stupidest move in the history of stupid moves!"

Perfectly creased trousers appear in his sight; familiar fingers thread intimately through his hair. "Do you need me to say it?"

Kaoru looks up hopelessly.

Kyouya sighs. "I would have everything, but I wouldn't have you."

Nobody reacts to a confession of this magnitude – everyone is barely able to use their _lungs_ , much less any other part of their bodies.

"Of course," Kyouya continues, forever an Ootori, "with you I will build my own empire."

Someone apparently has the presence of mind to burst into laughter. "Kyouya-senpai banzai!"

Kyouya smirks and pats Hikaru's head fondly. "It must have been hard on you too. Thank you for having faith in me."

Hikaru winks.

"Enough of this!" Hayashida-san intervenes angrily, splotches of red high on her cheeks. "Leave now, Kaoru-san!"

It is as though her recovery unfreezes the others and everyone leaps up to begin clamouring, resulting in a hostile cacophonous uproar. Only Haruhi and Kaoru remain as they are – she is seated and calm, he feels too frail to stand.

"Preposterous!" Both Hayashida parents hit the ceiling, loudly demanding that Ootori-sama account for this.

Ootori-sama's eyes are narrowed to dangerous slits and the whiteness of his face stands out starkly against his black suit. "Kyouya, you will cease this nonsense at once."

The temperature of the whole hotel plunges to sub-zero.

Yuuichi-san, Fuyumi-san, Akito-san and Kyouya all lean back a fraction, tiny and unnoticeable except to those who know to look.

 _Kyouya's still afraid of his father._ Kaoru closes his eyes against the flood of emotions. _Yes, of course – it's too ingrained and there will always be traces of it within the children, but he's standing there between you and his father, he's standing there for you!_

Ferociously, Hayashida-san declares, "I will overlook this if you leave now, Kaoru-san. Think of our families' reputations! Only you can preserve them, do you want to bring shame on Kyouya-san's family? Are you going to be selfish?"

Kaoru has to give her credit: she really knows to attack her opponents' weak spots – what a splendidly lethal partner she would have been for Kyouya!

He struggles to his feet.

Wordlessly, he bows to her and makes for the door.

He keeps walking even when someone commands, "Stay where you are!" because it's clearly directed at the person who would follow him – Kyouya.

The ex-host-club shouts his name and Team Kyouya blocks him from fleeing.

As predicted, Ootori-sama issues more cutting commands to the servants.

"We're sorry, Master," the three men staunchly refuse. "We answer only to Kyouya-sama."

"Just this evening," Kaoru reveals, "I told Hayashida-san that I will not sabotage this wedding. If the three of you know what's good for Kyouya-senpai, move aside."

"What's good for Kyouya-sama is what he chooses, Kaoru-sama," Hotta says loyally.

"Quite," Kyouya says, taking a few steps towards Kaoru.

"Boy!" Papa Hayashida roars, addressing Kyouya but stalking towards Kaoru menacingly. "Have you not humiliated my family enough?!"

Aijima springs forward to act as a shield as Hotta wraps a muscled arm around Kaoru's midriff and carries him to safety.

"Kaoru-san doesn't want you!" Hayashida-san shrieks, composure finally smashed to smithereens. "So what if you feel for him, Kyouya-san? Kaoru-san is still adamant on leaving! He knows he can only be a fling for you, why don't you know it?!"

Hikaru explodes. "Watch your mouth!"

"Kyouya-kun, to choose that boy over my daughter is ludicrous! Everyone knows the Hitachiin twins are offensive, impudent brats!" Mama Hayashida adds fuel to the raging fire. "Behaving indecently in broad daylight since childhood! Did this slutty brat throw himself at you after his brother found a girlfriend and no longer wanted to commit immoralities with him?"

Even Haruhi gasps.

Mori materialises out of thin air to restrain Hikaru.

"We know that Hayashida-san is hurting on behalf of your daughter and your pride is wounded," Honey snarls, fully descended into his AB devil mode, "but say anything to that effect again and you face the combined wrath of our families."

Kyouya is bloodless with fury.

"Kaoru-san doesn't want to be a nuisance! He doesn't want you despite all you've done for him, Kyouya-san!" Hayashida-san repeats. "Accept it!"

" _Accept it?_ And marry you, I presume you mean? By this point, a harmonious marriage between you and me is impossible. Besides, who are you to tell me about _my_ Kaoru? The things he wants the most, he also pushes away with the greatest force, though this is hardly something you'd know, is it?"

Dangling limply like a marionette slung over Hotta's arm, Kaoru numbly says, "No."

Unplanned, his pindrop utterance carries through the area because its timing lands exactly in the middle of a pause. Everyone turns to stare.

Hotta releases him carefully.

"No, I don't want you," Kaoru says brokenly. "I don't recognise you."

Impatiently, Hikaru advises, "Kaoru, stop denying it. It's _futile_."

"The person I fell for, my Kyouya, weighs everything up in his mind and is level-headed, realistic, farsighted, dependable and organised to a fault. He has priorities and plenty of common sense, understands duty and hates to cause a scene. His heritage, his name, his family are deeply cherished by him. To his acquaintances and the world at large, his medical roots have taught him to 'first do no harm'; to those close to him he is insanely protective, and there is _no way_ he would make a whimsical decision that would cripple his family's standing and recklessly abandon Hayashida-san to be mauled by the press."

His old friends beam brilliantly at him, their radiance rivaling the noonday sun.

"See? Completely futile," Hikaru teases.

Kaoru blinks in disbelief. _Don't tell me… the real reason for Kyouya's extreme overload of work…_

"Such an affront," Kyouya drawls, all silk satin and dark chocolate. "After demonstrating your conviction in my meritorious qualities, surely you must know that I have plans for every contingency."

"… You… didn't…"

"He _did_!" Tamaki and Hikaru exclaim gleefully.

" _We_ did." Kyouya sets the record straight.

Kaoru is riveted, unable to stem the stream of tears. His heart is still hurting, no, it's _scorched_ , which is crazy because his feelings have been flipped downside up.

"Congratulations…" he exhales unsteadily, knowing that he is on the verge of surrender.

"Much better." Kyouya nods, and delivers the coup de grâce to break his resistance: "The next time you make my clothes, let them bear your hallmark."

Kaoru flies to him.

His beloved catches him effortlessly, as he always has and so he always will.

Pandemonium ensues.

Papa Hayashida's railing is deafening and directionless, spraying everyone with his malice; Mama Hayashida is raising a stink, calling Kaoru a range of successively more belittling and derogatory names; one too many names sets Haruhi off and she begins to defend Kaoru with the same stinging ire that she'd shown in high school when the twins would engage in sham fights, Hikaru gangs up with her to trade insults with Mama Hayashida blow-for-blow; Fuyumi-san is trying to persuade Kyouya to go home and discuss the issue with Ootori-sama; Akito-san has decided to be hopping mad about the harm to the family's image and is castigating his younger brother for being irresponsible; like his sister Yuuichi-san is firing reasonable arguments at his father non-stop to get Ootori-sama to relocate the melee back to home ground; steam is evaporating off Ootori-sama as the two blond ex-hosts take on this boss fight and Ootori-sama is warning them about the talk he will be having with the Haninozuka and Suou parents; Hayashida-san is unmoving and Mori is keeping an eye on her in case she snaps – ah, she does, launching herself at the entwined couple and Mori dives to seize her in virtually the same manner as Hotta had handled Kaoru; the three servants have regrouped, watching their higher-ups duke it out with each other in a battle royal.

Kaoru sucks in a strangled breath and gawks with unadulterated terror at the catastrophic consequences. If this is the reaction on a _small_ scale, what will the big scale be like?

From the refuge of Kyouya's arms, someone else intrudes to separate them and bodily hoists Kaoru up to retreat from the epicentre. Kaoru doesn't repel the grip because the balmy scent tells him that it's Hotta carrying him off – Aijima shuts the fusuma on them as Hayashida-san screams, "Kaoru-san, you are not keeping your word!"

An ear-piercing tweet reverberates out from the room that Kaoru has just been removed from – it's Tachibana's portable buzzer that he attaches to his keyring for use in times of emergencies. In the deserted restaurant, the absence of sound is twice as foreboding.

"He is honouring a _prior_ agreement with me, and I, him – which by definition takes precedence over either of our agreements with you," is the last discernible sentence Kaoru hears as Hotta clears the array of empty tables and exits through the back door of the kitchen to a parked jet-black car that is almost blended into the dead of the night.


	5. The Price You're Paying For It: Hikaru

### THE PRICE YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT: HIKARU

_"You can't sweep other people off their feet, if you can't be swept off your own." – Clarence Day, After All (1936), p. 224_

Immensely relieved, Hikaru allows himself to relax at last.

He _is_ the meaner twin, and on behalf of Kaoru he will be the one standing beside Kyouya while everything goes wrong between their senior and the Ootori family. When Tamaki had gone out to take the call, the young master sent all the servants, waiters and staff away to give them liberty to _rumble_.

They know that Kaoru isn't equipped for this – the best-case scenario had been to persuade Kaoru to stay home and have the club explicate their actions _after_ the deed is done, but it's not like Hikaru can tie his brother up and his side of the deal had been to keep up his act no matter how grueling, letting things flow their course and trusting that they have covered all bases. It's not that Hikaru needed Kyouya to sign that skewed pre-nuptial, or, god forbid, that he thinks Kaoru needs Kyouya's money – no.

Hikaru needed to know that Kyouya would enter into a covenant that substantially prejudices his own interests for Kaoru's sake, and that pre-nuptial must be the most economically unsound decision of Kyouya's life: 60% of his annual income to belong to Kaoru unless Kaoru agrees to a joint account depending on tax liabilities (with the right of survivorship and Kaoru's signature alone must afford him unlimited right of withdrawal), and if ever they separate, Kaoru gets 100% of their asset pool at the time of the break up. 

_One hundred percent_ , demoting Kyouya to start all over again from zero.

Bearing in mind that Kyouya is already earning the most out of the seven of them, and that the contract takes effect upon Kaoru's acceptance of Kyouya's proposal of marriage… Even though Hikaru had overseen its drafting, he hadn't dared to believe their bottomlessly deep pocketed penny-pinching tycoon of a vice-president would sign it until he did.

Without needing to consult each other, on no other basis apart from what they know of Kaoru, the five of them _unanimously_ stipulated the condition that Kyouya must get Kaoru out before any of the mercilessly ugly negotiations begin – not that Kyouya ever thought otherwise. It isn't because Kaoru has no stomach for commerce, but that he feels too responsible for the current situation despite his claims to the contrary. Always he wants to suffer in place of those he loves, _always_ , and the single most compelling argument for Hikaru to accept Kyouya is really just about this: that Kyouya's powers of observation eclipses Kaoru's such that he rarely if at all misses the little selfless things Kaoru does regularly, that Kyouya surpasses Kaoru in sneakiness so Kaoru can't get away with plotting dumb schemes around him, that Kyouya has the talent and influence to neutralise or undo the practical effects of Kaoru's idiocy as and when it occurs, and, most of all… that he has the heart to do so, and comes close to comparing with Kaoru in his capacity for self-sacrifice when he's clean out of alternatives.

Like now.

Mori had loosened his hold on Hayashida-san as soon as Kaoru had been secured, and she is squaring off with Kyouya.

There's a first time for everything, and Hikaru has a hunch that this may be a bitchfight that he won't enjoy watching, because he already knows how much Kaoru has endured to reach this stage and how much Kyouya will be forfeiting – their overall win simply cannot compensate for this loss.

"Kyouya-san, this is extremely shortsighted of you," Hayashida-san criticises.

… Yup, Hikaru doesn't even feel like pointing out the joke. Definitely not going to fun.

"I beg to differ," Kyouya says, voice like shards of ice. Without looking away, he puts out a hand, palm up. "Tachibana."

His well-oiled machine of a team had been prepared – Aijima had fetched a stack of files from just outside the door, and Tachibana passes the three files on top to his master.

Kyouya extends them in the direction of Hayashidas. None of them condescend to take it, and Kyouya lays them on the table without so much as the crinkling of paper, deliberately refraining from any more displays of incivility (although, in all honesty, he's vastly more supercilious when he adheres to social conventions).

"These invoices will show that the costs of the wedding originally borne by you have been fully paid for. I have also defrayed the ancillary expenses not directly related to the wedding, such as the bill for tonight's informal dinner amongst others."

"We don't need your money!" Papa Hayashida barks.

Hikaru rolls his eyes. _Who's shortsighted now?_

"No, indeed," Kyouya agrees insouciantly, "but it is a good start, is it not? Recouping your financial losses will always salve the wounds somewhat; at least you need not contend with the indignation of pouring money down the drain."

As the man splutters unattractively, Kyouya opens the second folder. "I have seen to it that the wedding gifts that have been received either have or will find their way back to the senders with a note of apology that explains – well, _nothing_ , actually. The words are flowery and meaningless. I propose that we develop a cover story together that will preferably keep both our families' reputations intact insofar as the embarrassment of a broken engagement will allow. Please consider this file in detail; I have listed a number of very plausible pretexts that we may – "

"Why should we do anything you say? You and your family should be lambasted by the media and it would be nothing more than just desserts!" Mama Hayashida gripes.

"Hayashida-san," Mori counsels from the corner with his arms crossed, "it is not possible to cast aspersions on Kyouya's marriageability without also affecting your daughter."

"Unless Hayashida-san would like us to tell the press that Kyou-chan prefers Kao-chan over your daughter and let them wonder why?" Honey asks sweetly.

She blanches. "You go too far, you bratty children!"

Unflappable Kyouya proceeds with, "We have to select a pretext within a day, or at most two in order to issue a timely press statement. My preference is on the first page – I am aware that the source of the trouble did not originate from you, hence I have provided for myself to take the brunt of the attention and blame: if you are agreeable, we will say that as a result of my travelling, I have caught a terrible disease from any one of those third-world countries that I have in fact visited over the past year, and due to its communicable nature and long recovery period, you no longer view me as a suitable spouse for your precious child. As I will be staying hidden for the next few months, this is a highly feasible option. The name and type of the disease are stated for your convenience – if you dislike this disease we can find another that will cause me to be bedridden, however I do not consent to any illness that is terminally incurable or acquired through sexual promiscuity. If you prefer to use another pretext, that is fine, but if you do not come to a decision then I will take action within two days and it will be entirely on my terms. My only qualifiers are: one, you may not involve Kaoru at all, and two, you may not expressly or impliedly say that I have a lover whether past or present. You _may_ say that Hayashida Erisa-san has a lover on the side; if it appeases you, I consent to being made a fool of in that way."

Shocked, Hikaru turns to his senior with wide eyes.

"The third file is primarily for Hayashida Erisa-san." Kyouya picks it up. "Though I was testing Kaoru, I would not have actively sought to torment you in this manner. As I suppose I owe you the truth, I will tell it to you: I needed the time to gather sufficient resources to make it viable for me to choose him. Had I achieved a breakthrough any earlier than today, I would certainly have brought this farce to an end sooner. Therefore, this is a compilation of the names of eligible bachelors in our generation who have expressed an interest in you – in all likelihood, you know most of them since they have been courting you assiduously even post-engagement. You are too shrewd to have dispensed with contingency plans as well; now is the time to review them and follow through with the one most appropriate for your needs."

Bitterly, she clenches her hands into fists. "Exactly! We have backup plans for backup plans! You and I could have taken over the world! If you will do something like research potential partners for me, why won't you just see in yourself the same potential?!"

"I'm doing this for him, not for you," Kyouya says dismissively, taking the remainder of the files from Tachibana. "The longer it takes for you to move on, the longer he will feel guilty."

"I want to know why!" she demands, unable to lose. "Why do you think he'll make a better partner for you?"

"I refuse to engage in such an asinine comparison exercise," Kyouya replies, half-arsed host smile plastered on.

"Why? Because you know that the cold, hard facts will indicate that he is the poorer choice?"

"No." Kyouya's eyes spark with something colder and harder than whatever fact she can summon, a law unto himself. "Because there is no comparison."

"If you value his opinion, you should know that Kaoru-san genuinely thinks I am the better person for you!"

"Only because he cannot legally marry me in this country, nor can we have biological children together," Kyouya responds immediately, "which precludes my father from accepting him into our family. If either he or I were female, we would have been married three years ago and you would not even have entered the picture."

The Hayashida parents start freaking out about the duration of this clandestine relationship and Kyouya's claws finally come out.

"Enough!" he orders, glasses flashing, also able to plunge them into the glacial arctic.

Papa Hayashida shudders involuntarily.

"I think you will not be forgiving me for the events of today; no doubt that is why you will understand why I too will not be forgiving you. For the names you called him – and Hayashida Erisa-san especially, you don't think you might have played a part in your own humiliation? Do you know that if you had been wholly ignorant, my friends would never have countenanced such a monstrous plan, much less supported and executed it? Instead, you piled insult after insult on Kaoru by making him design a wedding that you knew he wished was his; you made him use all of his fondest dreams on you because I happened to be the groom and he would want my wedding to be flawless."

"How dare you blame me for this!" she screeches.

Relentlessly, Kyouya outlines his accusation. "Do you know that Tamaki made me investigate whether you were aware of my relationship with Kaoru before he was willing to cooperate with me, and do you know that Haruhi pleaded for leniency for you _all throughout_ our collaboration? Do you know that Mori-senpai advocated waiting partly because he wanted to offer you the opportunity to reject me rather than have the reverse happen to you? Do you know that Honey-senpai advised me against embarrassing you in front of your friends even if our plans had succeeded earlier in the evening? Let's not be coy about it – _you chose_. You knew that the odds were not favourable and you chose to pit yourself against Kaoru because it was more important to you to _win me_ , whereas it was more important to him _for me to win_ yet you ask me _why_?"

"Erisa, you should have said something!" her parents get on her case. "You knew your fiancé was keeping that little harlot and you continued to let them associate with each other – that was a critical mistake!"

Hikaru slams the table and growls, "Stop. With. The. Fucking. Names."

"What do you call it then, boy?" Papa Hayashida challenges. "Your brother knew he could never have any legitimacy but he's happy for my daughter's fiancé to – "

Suddenly, in less than a fraction of a second, Hikaru has a terrible premonition about what he's going to say, and he's climbing over the table to try to stop those brainless anger-drenched words –

He's not the only one because Mori and Honey have moved too, propping a hand on the same table to _leap over him_ to where Papa Hayashida is –

" – him like some cheap – "

Mori snags a once-hot towel on the way and stuffs the cloth into that mouth to gag it –

It's too late. The last words are partly muzzled; his meaning is still distinctly made out.

Hikaru's mind goes blank; he tries to hit that filthy mouth for what it said and Mori drags him back, fastening his arms to his side by cocooning him in an inescapable embrace.

"Let me go! Let me – "

He freezes; Mori's expression is _terrifying_ , directed at Papa Hayashida like Mori hadn't thought a person so contemptible existed.

Tamaki and Haruhi instantly let Papa Hayashida have a piece of their minds. Even Fuyumi-san joins in the fray, everything else be damned, emphatically proclaiming that she would have called that 'love'.

To say nothing of Kyouya and Honey – Hikaru knows that the Hayashidas' businesses have just become the chief targets on the host club's hitlist.

"Get out."

Everyone focuses on the speaker with that sheer authoritative gravitas.

"The three of you are to leave this hotel," Ootori-sama says.

Mama Hayashida takes offence. "Yoshio-san, your family really has gone overboard today – "

"The relations between your family and mine have ended, but my relations with the owner of this hotel continues. If you do not disappear from my sight in five seconds, I will have you thrown out as disgracefully as possible and your photographs will be splashed across the newspapers tomorrow."

_Woah…_

Taken aback, Mama Hayashida huffs, "Fine!" and marches out.

When her daughter and husband reach for the files that Kyouya had laid out, Ootori-sama says, "You are not to take it. My son gave you the choice and you rebuffed him – everything will happen on our terms from now on."

Fed up, Hayashida Erisa follows her mother.

"You – ! Don't think you intimidate us just because you're an Ootori! I'm a Hayashida!"

"This has nothing to do with who we are," Ootori-sama informs him, unimpressed. "It has to do with whether you would like us to tell the press that my son prefers someone else over your daughter and let them come up with reasons why."

Honey smiles grimly, his blossoms twinkling with mocking amusement.

With a glare, Papa Hayashida straightens his suit jacket and defiantly swipes one folder anyway, gambling on the chance that Ootori-sama will not out his son so openly. Ootori-sama lets him go, uninterested in juvenile stunts.

Tamaki clamps down on Kyouya's shoulders to ease the quivering animosity emanating from him.

Ootori-sama studies his youngest son levelly.

He puts out a hand, eerily reminiscent of Kyouya. The files are respectfully submitted to him.

Even before he peruses any of them, he asks, "What is your stake in Refzip & Refzip?"

"Amazing!" Hikaru blurts, flabbergasted.

Ootori-sama cocks an imperious eyebrow at him. "If my son needed to gain leverage over me, if he understood the purpose of an alliance with the Hayashidas, if you children succeeded only today – given that it is now almost 2:30 AM and you were certain of this success approximately an hour and a half ago, it must be because of Refzip's board meeting that was scheduled to conclude at noon, New York time. Elementary, isn't it, middle-eastern heiress Ms. Lila Darpana Qaqnus?"

Kyouya smiles, ego-tripping over his family's unassailable supremacy.

Hikaru whoops with laughter, not bothering to contain his awe. Analysis at the speed of light – truly, he is Kyouya's father.

Ootori-sama flicks through the pages, saying, "Indeed, it had crossed my mind to negotiate an arrangement with Suou Haruhi-san to stop her from providing legal assistance to her 'old friend from Harvard' to acquire Refzip & Refzip; I predicted that you would stop her in the interests of our family and at any rate a union with the Hayashidas would have negated the threat posed by Refzip – perhaps I should have known that you are her fellow Harvard alumnus. My secretary brought to my attention as a trivial oddity that 'Qaqnus' means phoenix; I presume the rest of your alias carries the same meaning as your birth name?"

"'Night', and 'Mirror'," Kyouya confirms.

"Kyouya-senpai is the new chief executive officer of Refzip Group and sits as president of the board of directors with 26% share," Haruhi reports. "I have 12%, my husband holds 8% and we have enough support from the other minor shareholders to form the majority."

"I see. You have feathered a nest in the US for you to elope with that child; I certainly hope Yuzuha-san is aware that you will be absconding with her heir."

"She is."

"The Hayashidas were making nuisances of themselves; chasing them away does not equate to approval of this relationship."

"I would not have made such a laughably erroneous assumption."

"Is it your intention to pursue Refzip's objectives under its previous president?"

Non-committal, Kyouya says, "It depends."

"On whether I will retaliate against Hitachiin Kaoru?" Ootori-sama asks tersely.

"Will you?" Kyouya counters.

Hikaru is rather grateful that he is tucked under Mori's wing – this showdown is all steel and winter chill, unlike the turbulent feverish storm of the Hayashida parents that he is better at participating in and coping with.

Light glances off Ootori-sama's spectacles. "If yes?"

"Then the first directive I issue as CEO of Refzip will be to continue expansion into the Asian market to become the premier medical supplies and pharmaceuticals company, set up health retreats and resort-like clubs in conjunction with Suou Corporation and buy out the subsidiaries of Ootori Group that the previous president coveted. You knew that Refzip's presence in Japan would result in stagnation and eventually extinction, Father, that's why you were so keen on Hayashida-san's two-pronged export capacity through air and sea to thwart Refzip's aim of replacing us as the dominant force in the wider Asian region. As the deal with the Hayashidas has fallen through, expansion on your part will be doubly difficult – counterproductive, even, if the price of export surpasses the benefits to be gained – "

"Kyouya!" Akito-san denounces. "You will take down the family that raised you and fed you?!"

"I have not pretended to marry for the inheritance and cause Father to be unable to revoke his nomination only to divorce Hayashida-san later. I have left the subsidiaries untouched though it is now within my power to capture at least 75% of them. I have reimbursed both Father and the Hayashidas out of my own pocket. I have not left this family with no defences – this is not a situation in which I have alienated the Hayashidas and chosen Kaoru without regard to the consequences of letting Refzip run wild on our home turf. On the contrary, I have put myself in a position not only to prevent Refzip's entry into Japan, but to come to an amiable partnership with Ootori Group to monopolise half the world each – further, as I am Refzip's leader, does this not mean that the Ootori family has conquered the planet?"

Hikaru suppresses a snort. Their Shadow King was always destined to rule the known universe by hook or by crook – to think that Kaoru was the face that launched a thousand ships, never will Hikaru let him live it down. One day, the day they can laugh about this, Hikaru will give him hell to blush at.

Ootori-sama is less charitable. "Your actions have dragged our name through mud, you have put yourself before your family; do you still call yourself an Ootori, or believe yourself deserving to be a member of this family?"

 _This is it_ , Hikaru grimaces. This is the worst-case scenario; Kyouya had warned them that it cannot be avoided – this is the crime that they have aided and abetted, this is the weight on their consciences: the rift between parent-and-child cannot be mended. 'Life aspirations' is one thing, for Kyouya is genius enough to take what is not given to him and being with Kaoru doesn't compromise that at all. 'Familial acceptance' is another thing entirely… For Kyouya, the price of making a family with Kaoru is his ties with the family that made _him_ , and Kaoru must not know.

"I'm very sorry, Father, Yuuichi-niisan, Fuyumi-neesan, Akito-niisan." Kyouya bows deeply and keeps himself there.

A large hand applies pressure to the back of Hikaru's head – Mori, the rest of Hikaru's friends and Kyouya's Team have bowed, too.

"What are you expecting us to say?" Akito-san demands. "That we forgive you? It's easy for you to apologise now that you've flagrantly done everything you wanted!"

Tamaki looks up, distressed. "It wasn't easy for Kyouya to do this, Akito-san! At every step of the way Kyouya tried to minimise the damage to everyone and make sure that your family will come out on top!"

"Then what do you want?" Yuuichi-san asks dispassionately. "State clearly what it is you want from us, Kyouya, before we decide if we want to give it to you."

 _Your acceptance, duh!_ Hikaru frowns at them. _Isn't it obvious what Kyouya-senpai – what any normal human being – wants from their family?!_

Kyouya's gaze is lowered, his eyes almost closed.

The silence stretches on uncomfortably.

_Ask, senpai! Now is not the time to be proud!_

No one says a thing.

Annoyed, Hikaru looks to Mori for clarification.

Mori is… _sad_.

He snags Mori's sleeve and Mori shakes his head.

" _What_ is going – ?"

The rolling slide of wooden rails against wood frame is heard.

Kaoru stands there like he'd never left, pale with red-rimmed eyes.

All of the people in the room who care for him gasp collectively. He is insensate to it, heedlessly brushing past them to get to the cluster of Ootoris where he collapses into a full body kowtow, forehead against the ground.

"I'm sorry. I know I will never be – "

The hosts, the servants and Fuyumi-san cry out his name; Kyouya rushes to his side to forcibly pick him up and Kaoru opposes him, persevering in his apology.

" – the partner of your choice for Kyouya-senpai. I know that the disappointment must be oppressive and the pain must be heart-rending and nothing can lessen it because the higher the hopes, the greater the – "

"Kaoru, stand up! Hotta! You were to drive him away from here until Tachibana calls you!" Kyouya raps out, razor-sharp in displeasure. Everyone flinches and poor Hotta cowers.

"K-Kaoru-sama jumped out of the car and ran back here!"

"The _moving_ car?!"

" – everyone who knows Kyouya-senpai automatically expects the world from him because Kyouya-senpai is that sort of person and Ootori-sama must have been so proud even if you didn't show it – "

Hikaru dashes forward to help. "Kaoru! Hey, Kaoru! Did you injure yourself?!"

" – and it's true that I was the one with no self-control, I was the one who wanted senpai and initiated and led him astray – "

Worriedly, Haruhi questions, "How much did you hear? How long were you standing there for?"

Kyouya darts a look in her direction, sickened at the realisation.

Hikaru gets an elbow in the gut and drops his brother reflexively.

" – so, please, I will ask. Don't make senpai do it. Don't disown Kyouya-senpai, please – "

"Kaoru! I can ask them myself!"

"No!" Kaoru's hands are bunched up in Kyouya's shirt. "No, you can't! Yuuichi-san is – don't be cruel, Yuuichi-san! You have made up your mind to refuse whatever Kyouya-senpai asks of you, and you want Kyouya-senpai to put himself out there, to humble himself by pleading with you but please, I will ask because the last thing that you say to him can't be something calculated to hurt him!"

Hikaru's jaw drops. _Was that why – ?_

Kyouya's posture softens; Kaoru accordingly slips back down to his penitent position and does not resist him anymore – he swallows once, like swallowing a sob, and leans against Kyouya's legs to wait.

Frustrated, Kyouya pushes his fringe back and takes a stabilising breath. Then, he smiles wryly, kisses the crown of Kaoru's head and also kowtows before his father, absolutely the humblest and most reverent any of them have ever seen him.

Kaoru follows suit – the both of them look like a to-be-married couple seeking their parents' blessings as part of the exchange of vows in a traditional wedding ceremony, and Hikaru knows that the symbolic significance won't escape any of the Ootoris. Were it not for today, in a week's time it would have been Kyouya and Hayashida Erisa doing this towards Ootori-sama and those hideous Hayashida parents.

Hikaru is pulled back quickly by Tamaki, that connoisseur of historical flicks and TV drama serials, but of course Hikaru already figured out that this escalation makes it an Ootori family matter, and for good or for bad his twin brother is rolled up in it. Servants never remain standing when their masters have prostrated themselves – with so many people kneeling, the seriousness cannot be overstated and it's making Hikaru's skin _itch_.

"Father, thank you for raising and nurturing me all these years, my debt to you I cannot repay," Kyouya says peaceably. "I regret that we have come to this. There are three things I would like to ask of you, my family, if you can find it within yourselves to grant them to me."

Anxiously, Kaoru grabs Kyouya's forearm. Kyouya does not turn, merely covers his hand with one of his own.

"First: that you will accept Kaoru, if not as a member of our family then at least as the person I've chosen as my partner. If that is not possible, then second: that you do not disown me and allow me to keep this name; although Yuzuha-san has given permission for me to become a Hitachiin, please don't use Kaoru's family name as a means of punishing me. If this too is not possible, then third: that you will allow me to contact whichever sibling or family member willing to talk to me instead of engineering my complete estrangement from the family."

Kaoru and Kyouya do not fidget even when put under a microscope by the Ootoris. Hikaru feels a pang of commiseration – that's why he won't choose a partner from a loony family – it's too much effort.

"All right, Kaoru-kun," Yuuichi-san says, retrieving his briefcase and taking out a lovely shugi-bukuro, "I will stop being cruel and be straightforward. Kyouya, I reject them all. You have wasted Father's affections on you, and the inheritance that we all have wanted, you have spurned as though it is something of no value. I cannot – "

"Yuuichi-san, that inheritance was Kyouya-senpai's _life_! For years Kyouya-senpai worked hard for it, caused it to thrive, guarded it from foreign and local competition!"

"Yes, and gave it all up when it was virtually his. It matters not that Kyouya has in effect gained possession over the inheritance from his manoeuvring – the inheritance is about ancestry, about playing within the rules of the family structure to obtain it. There are two things I cannot forgive: that Kyouya used outsiders, and that in his place _I_ would have given _you_ up. Take this shugi-bukuro – it's my last gift to you, little brother, and you too, Kaoru-kun. I hope that you have a happy and lasting relationship, though I acknowledge neither of you as family from henceforth."

"But – !"

Kyouya accepts the envelope with both hands and thanks his eldest brother.

"But Kyouya-senpai protected the inheritance by – "

Kaoru's fingers are squeezed lightly.

"Fuyumi," Ootori-sama directs.

She smiles, grief-stricken. "I accept them all."

"Thank you," Kaoru whispers.

"Subject to Father's decision, if I can stay in touch with you, I will, Kyouya."

Kyouya bows to her – she was always the one that they'd counted on when planning their coup.

Ootori-sama glances at his third child. Hikaru knows that Kaoru spent a lot of time evading Akito-san, and amongst their group the consensus seems to be that Akito-san is irritable and envious of Kyouya... very unlikely to support this relationship, especially after the fiasco.

Akito-san smiles broadly at Kaoru, visibly amused. Dubious, Kaoru draws back somewhat.

"I didn't know you had such a huge weakness, Kyouya."

Before Kyouya can say anything, Kaoru protests, "I never wanted to be his weakness! I wanted to be his strength!"

Akito-san blinks, then rolls his eyes. "Also subject to your decision, Father, I accept all of Kyouya's requests."

Evidently nobody had seen it coming, not even Kyouya – seven ex-hosts and three servants gawk at him.

"I blame _you_ for everything that's happened," Akito-san says flatly, "not Kaoru-kun. I really thought you were profiting at the expense of your family but maybe we can all benefit if you are sincere about using Refzip in the Ootori name. I still don't forgive you for being arrogant, but Kaoru-kun is fine. It's not like the Hitachiins are a lesser family than the Hayashidas – those Hayashidas think they're the best – it's just that the Hitachiins' areas of expertise don't exactly match up with ours. If Kaoru-kun was a shipping and air freight heir, it wouldn't have been a big problem to have him as a member of our family, I think, even if you can't marry. I don't think it's right to have Kyouya become a Hitachiin like the name is some form of condemnation rather than a privilege – now that we've turned the Hayashidas down, we should work on validating our choices and not discrediting them."

"Akito-san!" Kaoru squeaks. "Thank you!"

"I just like the fact that you take Kyouya down several notches," Akito-san blatantly admits, and Kyouya actually smiles with less inherent villainy than usual. "Or he would still be going ahead like he thinks he's a god instead of actually _asking_ us for anything. Kyouya, since you think you can do everything, if you're really angry about what the Hayashidas said, you should take over their businesses. Then you can show them that you don't need a shipping and air freight heir, or you can make Kaoru-kun one, and maybe then Father will say yes if he doesn't accept Kaoru-kun today."

"Akito-san…" Tears well up in Hikaru's daft brother's eyes, and Akito-san is mildly alarmed, raising both hands to mollify Kaoru.

"I see," Ootori-sama says knowingly. "Yes, Akito is right – was that why you rushed back? Did you foresee that my son would use aggressive political tactics to coerce us into putting up with his unilateral arrangements despite being the one in the wrong? If you did, I gather you must know very well Kyouya's similarity to us – to _me_. Tell me, Kaoru-kun: did you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kyouya would fail to convince me? Did you figure out why, and thus rushed back with all haste?"

"I – " Kaoru bites his bottom lip. "I came back because I couldn't leave Kyouya-senpai if he was going to lose his family."

"Liar," Kyouya says right away, quietly exultant. "Tell my father the truth. I've figured it out too, how very ironic. Don't worry about protecting me – I think this will illustrate to my family why you complement me ideally."

Kaoru smiles self-consciously at him. He reveals, "The first fight Kyouya-senpai and I had was actually because I apologised to him in an attempt to _avoid_ a fight – Kyouya-senpai said that the apology was worthless and he didn't accept it. Initially I didn't understand why, then I realised that my apology did not give him any power to decide what happens next and didn't indicate any willingness on my part to give way to him; it was really a method to continue controlling Kyouya-senpai and our relationship. Kyouya-senpai has acknowledged that it is his fault but he's still overriding your will and doing what he wants, which is essentially another snub – already we have bypassed consulting Ootori-sama on breaking Kyouya-senpai's engagement with Hayashida-san. Ootori-sama's children all resemble you very closely in some aspects, and I thought Kyouya-senpai would play hardball as he has the upper hand and it wouldn't make sense for senpai to put me in Ootori-sama's power. You would clash precisely because your natures are the same, and nobody would ditch their pride to save this family… in the end, this problem was created by Kyouya-senpai and I, so I had to come back to apologise to Ootori-sama and your family."

"Hmm. Following from that premise, you must have known that unless you came back to put yourself in my power, anything that Kyouya does will be an act of defiance."

"… Yes, Ootori-sama," Kaoru confesses hesitantly, "and only by returning to Ootori-sama your parental authority over our relationship will Kyouya-senpai have the slightest chance of remaining a part of your family."

After a moment, Ootori-sama turns to Kyouya. "Kaoru-kun is here to request leniency; at no point of time did Hayashida Erisa depart from an attacking strategy or deign to assume an abased position. I did wonder about the dynamics of a marriage relationship between you and her. On paper you are highly compatible, yet when I met her I noticed a certain…"

"Rigidity," Kyouya supplies promptly.

"Yes, an unyielding personality not unlike yours, and though her combativeness serves her well in the business arena, I reflected upon the possibility that you might need a life partner who is more pliable in order that the marriage will not be an unremitting battle, but it is easier said than done to find a person who possesses comparable acumen. Despite duplicating your skill set, the pros may well have outweighed the cons if Hayashida Erisa works towards the same goal as you and leaves all other concerns to the side."

"If I may, Father," Yuuichi-san says, "I believe Hayashida-san has conclusively proven that she is poor at handling Kyouya. Kyouya himself has demonstrated an identical deficiency in his exchange with us earlier – he would not have begged unless Kaoru-kun did so first, even if begging is the _sole_ solution to make amends."

"It isn't a deficiency!" Kaoru objects. "It's merely a course of action adopted by – "

"Kaoru-kun, your devotion to Kyouya is admirable but unnecessary. Of course I may speak only for my family and the servants when I say that we are familiar with Kyouya's character; however tonight's events have attested to the fact that everyone currently present is equally well-versed."

"Nonetheless it isn't a deficiency! Hayashida-san was militant in a situation where she was outmatched while Kyouya-senpai was in the ascendency! This means that the decisions to retreat have different values attached – for Hayashida-san, it cuts her losses; for Kyouya-senpai, it highlights Yuuichi-san's and your family's importance to senpai! Unless Kyouya-senpai has the ability to walk away, you don't know if he will choose to stay, and right now senpai is choosing! Ootori-sama, please, have mercy!"

Again Ootori-sama bores a hole through Kaoru, dissecting him like a science experiment. Kaoru is striking a wonderful balance of meeting his eyes without being belligerent, and how he manages to keep from squirming is beyond Hikaru. Who knew his twin excelled at this unstoppable-force-meets-immovable-rock form of conflict?

At long last, Ootori-sama concedes, "I was going to cast him off, Kaoru-kun; your conjectures are not incorrect. I would have refused any and all of his requests as well. However much I prize my children's competency and resourcefulness, they are worse than useless if not applied to the welfare of this family as a whole, and cancerous tumours must be cut off to prevent further growth and spreading."

 _Oooh…_ Hikaru makes a face. _That must have hurt, to have his father refer to him as some malignant disease._

Kyouya's expression doesn't change, Kaoru's goes to pieces.

"But, as you have extended to me the courtesy of letting me have my say, I will repay you in kind," Ootori-sama throws them for a loop. "The Hayashidas approached me to arrange for this match – although I was already aware that it was mutually beneficial and was prepared to agree, Hayashida Erisa promoted herself most extraordinarily. As I gave her the opportunity, so I will offer it to you: tell me how you will be an asset to my family."

"Seriously?!" Hikaru exclaims amidst the excited, incredulous gasps of his friends. Kyouya himself appears paralysed with shock, hunched over with his hands flat on the tatami mats like he hadn't thought this possible in his wackiest dreams.

"Thank you, Ootori-sama! This is more than I could have asked for!"

"Nothing is set in concrete yet, Kaoru-kun."

And then Kaoru does something to _blow them all away_.

"Hotta!"

"Y-Yes, Kaoru-sama!" He scrambles forward with the tablet that Hikaru only just realises he'd been holding all along.

"Kyouya-senpai, sorry – I saw your iPad in the car and borrowed it," Deftly, Kaoru enters the password to unlock it and clambers to Ootori-sama's feet to display the screen to him. "Ootori-sama, this is the electronic transcript of my results from design school over the past four years. As you can see, I topped every one of my subjects and graduated first in my level despite having twice the course load as my peers by undertaking two degrees simultaneously."

"Two?" Akito-san asks, inching towards his father to read over his shoulder. "Weren't you a fashion student?"

"And an interior designer," Hikaru choruses along with four other voices.

"Yes, Akito-san. As Ootori Group provides broad-spectrum services related to healthcare, there are several ways I can contribute. Firstly, as a designer in one of the foremost fashion houses of the world, out of our group I have the strongest connections to the popular media, the global A-listers and various celebrities – over the past years many of them have agreed to take part in advertising campaigns so long as I am involved in it, and I have all the industry connections to run Ootori Group's advertising, marketing and PR departments at a week's notice. I have introduced my friends to the recreational facilities run by Ootori Group and they have informed me that even though they enjoy their privacy at these resorts, they are willing to work with me to boost the profile of Ootori Group as a provider of exclusive, desirable status-symbol holidays to influence the perception of the mass media."

Kaoru flicks the screen with his fingers, not pausing in his sales pitch. "Secondly, I have been collecting a list of names of world-famous, top-of-their-trade fitness trainers, yoga and Pilates instructors, chefs, nutritionists, dietitians, cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists and beauticians who will throw their lot in with me at my asking, and they too have expressed willingness to join Ootori Group if need be, which will make Ootori Group the uncontested hub for the highest quality beauty services."

 _Fucking hell._ Hikaru hadn't known that was why Kaoru has been schmoozing like mad with the elites and media darlings, proposing to make clothing for them that basically ruined his own health just to earn their favour.

"Thirdly, my degree in interior architecture and design is a double major in healthcare, as well as in hospitality and recreation – I have been gaining extensive practical work experience in these firms, which include the firm that designed the Ootori hospital in Nagoya and also the one that designed the tropical paradise in Tokyo. Higuchi-sensei, Ihara-sensei and Makino-sensei are my mentors; all three of them are Ootori-sama's longtime acquaintances and they have assured me that they will personally give Ootori-sama feedback about my aptitude in designing hospitals, restorative gardens, medical offices, specialist facilities, dentist offices, psychiatric facilities, laboratories, health clubs and spas."

"It is all very well to have breadth, Kaoru-kun," Ootori-sama says, "but do you have depth?"

"Yes! Yes, he does, Ootori-sama!"

Kaoru turns to smile gratefully at them, his supporting cast.

"Kaoru was the designer responsible for the Heartsease Garden, Father," Kyouya says meaningfully. "Ihara-sensei submitted the draft in his name at Kaoru's request, and you approved Kaoru's design even when Kaoru had been only a second-year student. You complimented Ihara-sensei for the elegance of the flower arrangements and the innovative use of space, and within a year Yuuichi-niisan mentioned that it had become the most popular garden amongst the patients."

"My brother's talent is very translatable, Ootori-sama!" Hikaru adds eagerly. "He has an amazing eye for art and his grasp of the design principles is so strong that he can pick up the aesthetic of new sub-specialties within two months and hit the ground running to develop specific technical knowledge! He's been juggling these three areas but his work is uniformly outstanding!"

All of the ex-hosts sans Kaoru give him a confounded look.

"… Three?" Haruhi asks.

Hikaru sighs, exasperated and loving. "Idiot enrolled in an architecture degree a year ago – got accreditation to finish the five-year B. Arch in four years."

Kyouya stares at Kaoru, eyes unfathomable like a starless night.

"Four," Kaoru says softly.

"That's what I said."

"No, four areas." Taking out his phone from his pocket, Kaoru brings up the information he wants. "Because I knew that Ootori-sama could always ask for tenders from many more acclaimed designers than me, so: fourthly, Ootori-sama, I am the founder and head of the informal team known as Code Iatrogenesis."

Neither Hikaru nor the hosts know what the flying fuck Kaoru is talking about, but all the Ootoris jolt with recognition so it must be something big and _damn_ it is satisfying for Hikaru to watch his twin be the showstopper that Hikaru always knew he had the potential to be.

Kaoru hands his phone over to Ootori-sama, who inspects something on it with undisguised interest; Yuuichi-san and Akito-san are sandwiching their father to check it out.

"What?" Tamaki directs to Kaoru or Kyouya. "What's this team about?"

Kyouya is laughing quietly, apparently – pleasantly? – astounded and rendered speechless.

"Kaoru-kun, is this technology ready?" Akito-san asks enthusiastically.

"Nearly there," Kaoru replies with a muted glimmer of pride. "It's in its last stage of testing and Doctor Nomiya estimates that they will need another three months to be sure. I was going to show it to Kyouya-senpai for his birthday."

"Doctor Nomiya is with _you_?!"

"Ah… I see, I see." Fuyumi-san nods. "So that's why Kaoru-kun was asking me about Doctor Nomiya."

Hikaru and Haruhi exchange looks. "Can somebody explain, please?"

Fuyumi-san takes pity on them. "Code Iatrogenesis is a loose organisation of expert professionals developing cutting-edge medical technology."

"They're very obscure, shrouded in mystery! It's difficult to know for sure who their members are because they aren't an official organisation and are not incorporated – it's like they're working on an ad hoc basis and nobody knows who is coordinating their efforts, yet they've been churning out some of the most advanced technology in the past two years, like streamlined patient management software and comprehensive medical information systems for research purposes," Akito-san furnishes them with details. "How did you get Doctor Nomiya to work with you? She insisted on retiring even when we offered to give her a large pay rise."

"Sorry," Kaoru chuckles feebly, "I wasn't trying to be mysterious – I just couldn't let it be found out that I took a good part of my father's top personnel to focus on producing technology and software for the healthcare industry, otherwise I would have to answer questions about my sudden absorption in that field. I rounded up some of the best engineers, computer programmers and doctors I could find to create a team that could intensively research medical technology, such as pioneering 3D imaging and other visualisation software – that short video and its attached PDF document that you just saw, Ootori-sama, shows Doctor Asari – ah, those are his hands – manipulating the 3D model of a patient's brain to zoom in on the blood clot."

"How many of our doctors have you stolen?!"

"Only the retired ones!" Kaoru retorts defensively.

"The retired ones are the best ones!"

"That's why I needed their knowledge and experience! I went on my knees to beg Doctor Nomiya, of course – she turned me down at first, about nine times actually, and it was only when I found out about her background and decided to tell her the truth about Kyouya-senpai that she agreed to help. Fuyumi-san said that Doctor Nomiya's parents forbade her from marrying Doctor Asari when they were younger because Doctor Asari was from a poor, low-class family with a single father who was constantly drunk – and by the time Doctor Asari fought and struggled through medical school, Doctor Nomiya's parents already made her marry someone else. Anyway, they've obviously never forgotten each other since high school if Doctor Asari pursued her all the way to the same hospital, so it's not really very weird that they want to work together past retirement, is it?"

"Yes, yes, very good, Kaoru-kun," Fuyumi-san says. "I always thought they were working all the time because their real love was in the workplace and not at home."

"They practically live in the lab now," Kaoru confirms with a tiny snigger. "The rest of us have been trying to get Doctor Asari to propose since Doctor Nomiya became widowed."

"Oh, good! Keep me updated, Kaoru-kun."

"I will. Ootori-sama, I am the sole heir of my father's software business, excluding Hikaru and Ageha who will be inheriting my grandparents' businesses – this is the arrangement that my family has settled on. I enjoy the work that I do with Code Iatrogenesis and we will continue to invent and improve relevant technologies that will have a powerful impact on the practice of medicine and enable your family to be the principal authority. I know that the financial advantage of subsidised export is massive and I… I honestly don't know if I can match th – "

"Kaoru."

"No, it's okay, senpai, I know I'm not doing a very good job of selling myself, I'm sorry. Even before I started, I knew Hayashida-san would outtalk me. It's not the sort of person I am – I design and create something beautiful, Ootori-sama, and usually let it speak for itself. On the rare occasions that it needs to be actively promoted, either Hikaru or Kyouya-senpai does it for me. I have no real edge over Hayashida Erisa – if anything, I start at a severe disadvantage because I cannot give you grandchildren and we all know it. Only… even if everyone else thinks that your family doesn't really care about these things – speaking to Ootori-sama as a parent, and to Yuuichi-san, Fuyumi-san and Akito-san as elder siblings, you would only have gotten angry just now if you were hurt at the thought that Kyouya-senpai betrayed and disrespected you, and that in turn indicates that you believed Kyouya-senpai was loyal to you and respected you. After all, Kyouya-senpai is the youngest and he must have been doted on by all of you before he was capable of remembering it… The past four years of my life were the happiest but probably also the worst… so many, many times I thought of leaving; so many, many times I asked myself why I didn't… my grandmother was actually the very first person to know because she worked it out herself, and she told me to properly consider if Kyouya-senpai was worth it… that's why I – that's how I _know_ that this person whom you love is worth everything and anything to me, and I couldn't leave him if I tried."

… Okay, Hikaru will admit that he's trying not to give in to the hot sensation at the back of his eyes. He wants all of Kaoru's dreams to come true, but he doesn't think he's ever wanted _this_ badly – never felt like his whole being will rip apart if this wish is not granted. The hilarious thing is that Tamaki, Honey, Fuyumi-san and Kyouya's team are openly weeping when Kyouya and Kaoru themselves are not – in fact, in this moment they are the bravest that Hikaru has known either of them to be, love without reservations, love that knows no end.

Ootori-sama doesn't say anything for a long, _long_ time, tormenting them with the silence.

Finally, Yuuichi-san clears his throat. "Father, I take it back. I am willing to accept Kaoru-kun as a member of this family if you are."

Kaoru snaps his head up, looking like a ten-day corpse – _everyone_ gapes at Yuuichi-san – except Kyouya, who is glazed over and seems fixated on the weave of the mats.

"Akito and I can easily work with the resources that Kaoru-kun has at his disposal, especially as Kaoru-kun has made a concerted effort to align those resources with our needs. We often have ongoing construction and renovation projects – in a decade's time when the current office towers beside the hospital will be in need of an upgrade, I've been wondering about building an ambitious, iconic structure to redefine the cityscape and its skyline, on par with buildings such as the Burj Khalifa, Westminster Palace or the Petronas Towers that immediately call to mind a particular city – in our case, Tokyo – to entrench our family in the public consciousness."

"Yes!" the supporting cast almost screams out, taut with prolonged tension. "Yes, Kaoru/Kao-chan will definitely be able to do that one day! Definitely!"

_So close! So close, please!_

"Kyouya," Ootori-sama asks, "Were you going to marry Kaoru-kun in the US?"

Today is a day of miracles. It must be. Kyouya, of all people, _actually misses a beat_ – when his father called him, he hadn't caught the question and needed his sister to repeat it for him.

"Yes – yes, I was going to – I am."

Hikaru thinks his senior desperately wants to pinch himself, to know that this isn't a pipe dream born out of sheer fool's hope.

"Postpone it," Ootori-sama decrees, "until after Kaoru-kun's graduation – I will withhold my judgement until that time. That is three more years of study, Kaoru-kun – plus I will give you a year to accomplish all that you can. If you want to become my son-in-law, you will have to adhere to my standards. Forward every single one of your academic transcripts and portfolios to me by the end of this week, as well as the names of your mentors with whom I am unacquainted. From henceforth, I will closely monitor your school results, career choices and trajectory. Further, you will begin to work with Yuuichi and Akito to show me the extent of your skill and adaptability; Akito, arrange for Kaoru-kun to join every department that he listed earlier and any others as you deem fit; Yuuichi, arrange to meet the members of Code Iatrogenesis and work on a plan to integrate Kaoru-kun's software sector with ours. Fuyumi, you mentioned that you wanted to redo the front garden and prepare a nursery room – Kaoru-kun will be your designer. As for you, Kyouya, whether or not I accept Kaoru-kun, you will not be inheriting the family business. I presume you will have to fly to the US regardless to finalise your appointment? As you have begun to walk this path, do your best with your friends to uphold the family name while Kaoru-kun finishes his degree. In four years' time, I will reassess Kaoru-kun and _if he passes_ , if you should still wish to marry him, I will be there at your wedding. Is this fair?"

"More than fair!" all of them cheer. Despite feeling rather sorry for his brother, Hikaru knows that this is a fighting chance they hadn't even dared to imagine, and Kyouya _has_ paid with his inheritance while Kaoru has paid and will likely be paying in blood, sweat and tears – they've lessened the price of their wish by undertaking to protect Kyouya's family's interests, by both discarding their prides to beg and this might just be enough, it might be enough to buy a happy ending –

God, they made the impossible happen.

Kaoru slaps a hand over his mouth, weak with delight and relief.

The bunch of them run to their friends (or brother and friend), yelling and bouncing in exhilaration as the four Ootoris take their leave – Kaoru and Kyouya must have been kneeling for more than an hour by this point, not having risen at all, yet they're frozen there, too stunned and numb to move.

When the Ootoris are out of earshot and Hikaru strives to hoist his rag doll brother up, Kaoru chokes out in the wobbliest voice, "I couldn't even stand, I was so scared."

Hikaru was going to go all jokey-jokey, "Was _that_ why?!" on his brother, the others are also looking at him with their jaws hanging by a thread –

Kaoru begins sobbing in earnest.

He hasn't bawled like this since he was a child, overflowing with pain and keening with loss, unable to stop himself from being utterly shredded by the maelstrom of emotions that is the wellspring of his ethereal and transcendent art, gasping in a way that breaks Hikaru's heart and never fails to make him cry too.

_Oh, he must have been – this entire thing must have been so –_

"K-Kaoru…" he whimpers, hating to see his twin like this. It's because Kaoru always puts a lid on his strongest feelings, like a Pandora's Box that he fills with all of the evil that has been done to him in order not to hurt his world, and to release it is to experience all of the feelings _at the same time_ with apocalyptic force.

It's bloodcurdling, this much raw anguish, and knowing that they were the ones who did this to him…

Everyone is aghast – only Hikaru has ever witnessed this – and branded by their shame; all of them had embarked on this to make Kaoru happy, with the unwavering belief that as long as they could succeed in getting him to vamoose from here and skip town with Kyouya, that they and Kyouya would take on the task of healing the wounds and make him glad and conceal from him the things that had been surrendered for him behind his back, only to discover that at the end of the day, the bottom line is that Kaoru has and always will absolutely _wipe the floor_ with them in terms of self-sacrifice and like Kyouya said, _there is just no comparison_.

It wakes Kyouya from his trance and propels him to action.

Like déjà vu, now it is their über cool ex-vice-president with the half-crazed eyes and the infinite manic longing, and Kyouya skids across the mats to crush Kaoru in an embrace, to hold him until he simmers down by himself because there is no other way to dam such a tide.

Contrite and looking more ancient than they have a numerical right to be, Honey and Mori are brandishing handkerchiefs and tissues at Kaoru – Honey is intermittently using a portion of those tissues for himself and Mori's eyes are wet though the droplets have not leaked out. Haruhi lays her head against Tamaki's upper arm and smiles through her tears, Tamaki is decidedly annihilated from recent events and so is Hikaru – he's grasping his brother's hand helplessly and hiccupping uncontrollably.

They watch as Kaoru trembles like a leaf; Hikaru doesn't know if part of that convulsive shivering is Kyouya's – Kyouya had buried his face in the crook of his lover's neck and has not produced a sound.

When Kaoru exhausts himself and is wilted against Kyouya droopingly, the rest of them have also more or less regained some manner of equilibrium… except maybe Kyouya, whose white-knuckled fingers remain clenched tightly in Kaoru's shirt and hair as though he physically can't let go, and in his stillness there are volumes untold. It takes a while for Kaoru to be lucid enough to realise that Kyouya is in a supremely bad state and he returns the hug, returns the favour and their roles swap with a fluid naturalness that's to die for.

And, proving that he's made of sterner stuff, that he can survive and endure, that he really can be someone's strength –

Life gradually creeps back into that pair of amber eyes peeking at Hikaru over the top of Kyouya's shoulder. They take on a vivid golden lustre, happier and happier to the point of ecstasy.

A burst of laughter rings out.

"We did it!" Kaoru squeals. "We did it we did it we actually did it! Ahh! I can't believe it! We actually did it!"

Laughing their heads off with him, Hikaru, Honey and Tamaki pump their fists into the air and everyone is rowdy again, reveling in this singularly blessed moment. "Yaaaay!"

"I love you so much, all of you, thank you!"

"We love you too, Kao-chan/Kaoru!" and they all clump together in a spectacular group cuddle that dispels the bitterness of the previous one in the rock garden.

Poor Kyouya separates from Kaoru when the group pulls away – yes, they seized that invitation to try to comfort Kyouya – ruffling his hair (Mori), planting a kiss on his cheek (Honey), hugging him (Tamaki and Hikaru), touching his arm encouragingly (Haruhi)… he's slightly dazed by the enormity of it all and it's funny because the idea had been to put this expression on _Kaoru_.

"We did it, Kyouya." Kaoru smiles at him, magical and hypnotic.


	6. Fairy Tale Romance

### FAIRY TALE ROMANCE

_"All your tomorrows start here." – Neil Gaiman_

"We did it, Kyouya."

Never will Kaoru forget that look gifted to him. Never in this life.

There for a second and gone, not meant to be shared with the others.

So Kaoru lets his lover take his hand and sweep him away to the car like newlyweds to their carriage, and he winds down the window as Aijima starts the engine.

His brother is telling him about having packed his luggage and that they've set a preliminary period of around six months for him to lie low with Kyouya – Hikaru has reorganised their timetable and Kaoru will find everything he needs to know on the dining table of his new home.

 _New home._ Apparently it's a present from the other club members, a well-wish for him and Kyouya. Anyway Hikaru wants him to catch up on sleep and take things easy – to which Kaoru had been vehemently opposed, because their plan had been concocted at a time when Ootori-sama's conditions could not have been taken into account and _everyone_ , even Kyouya, outvoted him without listening to his arguments.

Round the other side of the car, after some quick words with Tamaki, Kyouya gives Aijima the go-ahead to drive to the airport.

"Argentina," Haruhi promises, and Honey blows a kiss.

Lump in his throat, Kaoru waves to his friends and gazes at them until they are specks in the distance.

Cool fingers caress his cheek to capture his attention.

He turns, and it's _electric_.

For so long he has gone without, and to know that this person is here… it's too much.

He jerks backwards and jams himself into the car door, putting as much space between them as humanly possible. Kyouya will understand – he's always read Kaoru's body language impeccably – it's not that Kaoru doesn't want him, but that they're in a car and they're not alone and they haven't touched each other for ages and all of Kaoru is holding breath.

Those dark eyes foreshadow all manner of sinful things. _I'll make it worth this interminable wait._

Kaoru pointedly observes the passing scenery.

Kyouya stays sequestered in the left and attends to other business: calling up one of their previous customers who's the heiress of a media empire to collect on an old debt – Kyouya as club vice-president and Kaoru as club president had covered for her when she had been seeing someone else secretly, and turnabout is fair play.

"Kaoru-sama," Aijima says.

"Yes?"

"Are you injured at all?"

Kyouya's aura instantly plunges into annoyance.

Kaoru smacks his forehead with his palm. "Aijima-san, are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"No, Kaoru-sama, I merely wanted to know if we will need to summon for medical services at the airport, or if it is sufficient for Hotta to tend to your injuries."

"Hotta can do it," Kaoru says carelessly, then cringes when he realises the inadvertent admission… not that Kyouya wouldn't see them later at any rate, ugh.

"Hotta," Kyouya begins pleasantly, and everyone feels a chill down their spines, "I am of the opinion that a stint in the far north of Siberia will be – "

Hotta twitches in fright and dismay.

"Kyouya, it wasn't his fault, it was mine," Kaoru jumps to his aid. "Really, he carried out your instructions to the letter."

"Oh, no. If he had, these injuries should be non-existent. Furthermore, Hotta, how do you explain defying my direct orders by hiding behind the fusuma to eavesdrop with Kaoru?"

"They're not major, okay? And I threatened him, that's why he said nothing. He caught up with me inside the kitchen and I said that if he acknowledges me as your partner then he has to obey my orders too. I made use of the fact that Hotta cares about your relationship with your family and I told him that running won't solve anything – it's all worked out, hasn't it? Leave it, Kyouya, please?"

"I am _very_ upset," Kyouya says through gritted teeth. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much. From the part where you were subtly flexing your business might to your father – why is everyone curious? Was someone badmouthing me? You know, I don't know what to think that all of you have to evacuate me like I'm some – oh! Were you declaring your undying love for me? Does it embarrass you to have me hear it?"

He bats his eyelids at Kyouya flirtatiously, and notes that Kyouya relaxes as inconspicuously as he can manage, the same reaction that Haruhi and Mori had exhibited.

Kyouya snorts. "I'm not fond of public displays of affection; then again, neither are you. Today, I've had enough for a lifetime, but nevertheless I'm glad at the payoff."

Kaoru laughs. "I thought it would be useful in this context, that's why I didn't hold back. Ootori-sama seems like the type to recognise genuine emotion even if he frowns upon gratuitous displays – I think Ootori-sama just thinks that public displays mean that the people have something to prove to their audience and that's why he distrusts it? Actually we did have something to prove, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable; poor Hotta must have cried his eyes out so that's his penalty for – "

"Kyouya-sama, Kaoru-sama overheard the row with the Hayashidas."

 _Stupid Hotta. I defended you less than a minute ago and you sell me out?_ Kaoru closes his eyes in defeat.

"Forgive me, Kaoru-sama. I couldn't let you rot from keeping something so vile inside."

Kaoru counts the streetlamps, not acknowledging the apology and not looking at his lover.

 _Great._ He hadn't wanted this, to have to get embroiled in a fight or to have anyone feel hurt anymore – he'd wanted the freedom to love Kyouya, and that encompasses having a relationship without the taint of demeaning abuse. Of course Kaoru knows what's false even if several constituent elements of their assumptions are true – lucky shots, really, or stale clichés, for how can they know how Kaoru is like when he's with Kyouya?

So what if Kyouya is manifestly more alpha? So what if the 'legitimacy' of this relationship had been dictated almost wholly by reference to Kyouya's needs and wants? So what if Kaoru had passively allowed himself to lose out? So what if he lets Kyouya take whatever he wants from him? It's nothing Kaoru doesn't want to give.

That doesn't make him cheap. Foolish, maybe (definitely), and incomprehensible to people such as the Hayashidas, who _have_ to be in charge and would do anything – no matter how atrocious – to save face. Of that ghastly altercation, probably only the insinuation of hypergamy got on his nerves and only because it's a slur on his family rather than him personally.

There are a lot of things that Kaoru doesn't mind which are ultra important to other people to have control over, or simply to _have_. The Ootoris have the same power-tripping kink as the Hayashidas, born out of the unshakeable confidence they have in themselves and the consequent compulsive necessity they feel to make up their own minds. Their rationality wins out over pride whereas it is the reverse for the Hayashidas, and Kaoru gambled everything he had based on his knowledge of Kyouya and by extension his family –

Yes, it's a fact that Kaoru defers to Kyouya more, and _therein lies the source of Kaoru's power_.

To override someone is but brute force and function. To wield power while submitting is artistry.

Exactly as Akito-san had discerned – Kaoru may have wanted to be Kyouya's strength, but there is no strength that does not betray a weakness, no like that does not correspond with a dislike. Yielding to Kyouya is getting _more_ in return – and on matters of greater import, too. Kaoru's fortes are sensation and body while Kyouya's are sense and mind; he can lure his lover into succumbing to naughty impulses or leave him a flushed, panting, greedy mess, he can titillate and thrill, he can reduce Kyouya to his _instincts_.

Tachibana and Aijima open the doors and bow respectfully. "Kyouya-sama, Kaoru-sama, we have arrived at the terminal."

The journey had gone by in silence – not atypical for Team Kyouya, Kaoru is sure, yet Tachibana and Aijima are more uptight than usual and Hotta is positively skittish. They aren't accustomed to silence from _him_ , Kaoru – their interactions have always been fairly chatty, if Kaoru says so himself – and as their new master he's an unknown quantity who may or may not be disgruntled at Hotta's out-of-turn transgression.

Before Kyouya steps out on his side, Kaoru leans over to press a butterfly kiss to that strained jaw, a hand propped on his thigh – high enough that it is not innocent, low enough that it is confusing, froth-light fingertips grazing his inner thigh like it's an accident –

– and exits before Kyouya can ascertain his intentions.

The kiss says, _don't be angry_ ; the hand says, _come and play with me_.

Dawn will break in about an hour, judging from the colour of the sky. They will be in the air by then, hopefully; Kaoru adores watching the sunrise on a plane high above – it's spellbinding, the spilling rays of light, the sheet of clouds that stretches on as far as the horizon like the softest cloth in all of creation… Apparently, the four-year-old Kaoru had announced that one day he would make a dress out of that sun-drenched cloud fabric.

He inhales deeply, holds it for five seconds before releasing his breath slowly. Today is a day for future anniversaries. It is the last page in a book that took four years to write, with silly characters that chose a relationship doomed to fail because they couldn't resist each other.

They climb onto the buggy to head to the hangar where Kyouya's (exceedingly luxurious) private jet will fly them to New York. It'd been a gift from the club to their Shadow King, who had to go back and forth from Japan to the US during his college years and often descended into hellishly foul moods as none of the beds on other aircrafts were suitably plush enough for royalty of the underworld with low blood pressure problems.

Although the building is largely deserted and only staff members are out and about, they're acting as properly as before.

 _Hold my hand, please_ , Kaoru wants to say, and screw four more years of secrecy until he passes. This time they merely have to keep a low profile – keep out of the gossip magazines and out of public knowledge even if more and more of their friends become aware – why then does it feel like nothing has changed?

"Why didn't we drive straight through security to the plane?" Kaoru asks Tachibana when he realises that they are going in the direction of the executive lounges. "Are we early for our flight?"

Can't be, right? The delay at the Roi Grand could not have been predicted by Kyouya, could it?

"No, Kaoru-sama. We are actually far behind schedule."

"Eh? Then why are we – "

Kaoru cuts himself off. He knows who must be in the lounge.

"Old people shouldn't be up so late," he says by way of greeting.

"I woke up early," his grandmother snorts rudely, "unlike my lazy, spoilt grandchildren."

He runs to her for a hug, which she gives fake-reluctantly and pinches him right after.

"Ow! You old hag!"

"Brainless young punks should not make other people wait for them."

Kaoru looks at his lover apprehensively. "Please tell me you didn't make my grandmother wait for hours."

"I didn't. How do you do, Kazuha-sama. I'm sorry for the delay – it took longer than expected for us to wrap things up. We called as soon as we could."

"Hmph," Kazuha says. "Was it because you allowed this dummy to have a change of clothes?"

"What are you saying!" Kaoru shouts. "You take as much time to change as me! Even more, because you are elderly and infirm! Anyway we didn't have time for anything!"

"Is that why you look so haggard? Do you have the right to call people 'old' when you are a decrepit, wasted skeleton?"

Kaoru gasps in outrage. "You have new wrinkles at the corners of your eyes and your chin is sagging!"

"Is that the best you can do, small fry?" Kazuha sasses. "Your fingernails are uneven like a kindergartener filed them for you, your cuticles are cracked, the bags under your eyes are worse than a zombie's and your skin is dry and unmoisturised. It must be like touching a reptile, isn't it, Kyouya-kun?"

Damn her. She always knows to hit where it hurts. He might have neglected his personal grooming a little in the past couple of months, why did she have to put a glaring spotlight on them?

"What, going to cry, dummy? How are you going to be an adult who can support the heavy weight of managing your own family?"

"Kazuha-sama," Kyouya speaks up, "Kaoru has had a very challenging day – months, to be honest. Please have mercy."

Uncompromising, Kazuha replies, "It's only going to get more challenging from here. Dummy, if you think what you went through is called 'suffering', let me tell you: you have no idea what the word means. Yet."

Kaoru glares at the coffee table, sore and fuming.

"If you're angry at me for wrecking your happy moment, let me tell you also: from now onwards, a lot of people will be trying to take away your happiness. They will swarm over you and Kyouya-kun and attack from every angle. They will shock you and hurt you with their ignorance. They will follow your every movement and make up stories about you. When your relationship goes public, every month you will read about Kyouya-kun having an affair with some person in some other part of the world. You and Kyouya-kun will be submerged in work and not have time for each other, and there will be weeks upon weeks where you don't see each other. It will drive you mad, and in your chest there will be a lonely feeling like sharp claws ravaging you from the inside out. You will question everything you've ever known, you will doubt Kyouya-kun and the strength of your relationship. There will be times when you need him and he's not there for you. You will blame him, quarrel with him, wonder if he misses you like you miss him. You will think of giving up, and you will know that he's thinking of giving you up too. Depending on whether that thought of him leaving you still hurts you, or whether you have then become indifferent to it – only then can you say that you truly know what place Kyouya-kun occupies in your life."

She turns to Kyouya. "The same applies to you. I know that you are an extremely competent child and I'm sure that you're used to winning or sweeping the obstacles aside. This means you are ill-equipped for failure, and believe me, you will be failing at something, someday. You will take that anger and frustration out on my grandson, and you will never be able to take back your words and actions, or your lack of words and inaction. You will wonder about whether your relationship is hurting your business interests and feel indignant because such a relationship would not hurt my grandson in the industries he works in. You will revisit today and question whether it was the right choice to reject Hayashida Erisa, especially when you see my grandson with many glamorous people who won't stop making advances towards him, sometimes even brazenly in front of you. You both will get to the stage where you are in the same house but it feels empty and lifeless like your relationship, and you'd cross each other as trains on parallel tracks, without so much as looking at the other person to offer a smile."

They are struck dumb. Kazuha's words have so much authority contained within them – like prophetic knowledge – and the thought of this future makes Kaoru feel physically revolted and he automatically reaches for Kyouya.

"Takashi-kun has informed me of your father's demands on my grandson. To you, my demands are: one, you conduct yourself as a member of the Hitachiin family and uphold this name; two, you respect my daughter and son-in-law as your parents despite their easygoing informality; three, for every time that you lose your temper at my grandson, or more likely when you treat him coldly, afterwards you put your pride down and apologise; four, you never devalue his work even though we all know that business and finance is more profitable than art and you will earn much more than him; five, do not make him choose between you and Hikaru – my son-in-law and I keep an eye on these things, and if we see that his priorities are poorly sorted, we will scold him on your behalf; six, if ever you find someone new, have the courtesy to tell him and end the relationship before you begin another – don't let him find out from anyone else, _especially_ not the media; seven and last, when you look back on today to review the choice you made, when new people approach you to offer to marry you or give you children, remember the reasons that led you to this decision in the first place… Remember why you are now holding my grandson's hand, instead of somebody else's."

Kyouya had been listening attentively, cogs in his mind whirring away, thumb rubbing the back of Kaoru's hand absently.

He bows to the matriarch. "I agree to honour these conditions, Kazuha-sama."

She nods, and rearranges a flower stalk in her hair. "Now it's time for me to have breakfast. So hungry."

Hit by a ton of bricks, Kaoru yells, "What is with that sudden carefree attitude?!"

Kazuha is already out the door. "Bye, dummy. Your parents are going directly to New York from Paris to meet up with you. I'll take care of dum-dum; we're going to have lots of fun without you."

"Don't bully Hikaru, you awful woman! Hey! You just wanted to unload a bunch of mean things before waltzing off?!"

She seats herself in the buggy, impossibly regal like an empress upon a throne. "The winner is the one who lives the way they want. Don't forget, dummy."

And off she whizzes, urging the driver to race through the building since there isn't anyone around to knock over.

"Argh! I can't believe her!" Kaoru tugs at his hair in vexation. "It's like she came here just to be a jerk! Yes, I won't put it past her – she's despicable like that!"

Kyouya chuckles. "Let's go."

.

\-------

.

With bare skin exposed on one shoulder, Kaoru permits Hotta to dab antiseptic on his wounds in the main cabin of the aircraft after boarding.

The other two members of Kyouya's team are seeing to the final preparations before take-off, and Kyouya himself is evaluating the extent of the injuries – not that it's a big deal, really.

Kaoru wants him to watch.

A mixture of ambiguous, contradictory body language from him invariably kindles a fire in his lover – seduction is half in the mind, and stringing Kyouya along is a reliable method to reel him in. Kaoru consciously extinguishes the heat in his eyes even as he maintains his vaguely provocative pose and sustains a blithe obliviousness.

Hotta glances at him nervously.

… Right.

Hotta is Kyouya's most emotionally sensitive servant, and he's either imploding from the thought that Kaoru had taken umbrage or he's aware of the smoldering sexual tension or… both.

"Why is your elbow so badly scraped?" Kyouya asks slightly peevishly. "At what speed was the car travelling?"

"It's not that – I hopped out at the red light," Kaoru soothes, "but I didn't check for other traffic and a car nearly ran me down. Don't worry, I protected your tablet with my life."

"Which part of your explanation was meant to console me?" Kyouya snarks. "The part where you could have been hospitalized, which would have been the cherry on the cake after the events of the night, or the part where you seem to think that a gadget is more dear to me than you are?"

Kaoru winks saucily at him. "Don't lie – I know you'd dump me in a flash if ever your notebook or your tablet transforms into a human being. Or your _laptop_ , that femme fatale, after all it's been sleeping with you longer than I have. I don't know why I let you two-time me."

Beads of sweat glisten on Hotta's head. He finishes dressing the wound and packs up the first aid kit.

Kaoru sighs, uncrosses his legs and rises to his feet. "Hotta, what would you have done if you were one of those feudal servants who had to guard their masters' bedchambers and hear or sometimes even see everything that goes on?"

"K-Kaoru-sama!" Hotta stutters in a fluster.

Blandly, Kaoru says, "But of course nothing of the sort is going to happen because Kyouya and I are going to have to fight about what the Hayashidas said and discuss why I lied to him. I accept that you did what you did with good intentions. The outcome of the argument decides whether or not I forgive you."

He strides straight into the bedroom, knowing that Kyouya will be right behind him. The shades of the windows are up; at the line where land meets the sky, the colour is beginning to gradate – patiently Kaoru stands with his arms folded, looking out as nature paints her art.

The lock clicks shut.

Being attuned to his lover, he doesn't need to catch a glimpse to know where Kyouya is – propped sideways against the door he'd closed, hands casually in his pockets.

Kaoru had not bothered to shrug on his shirt; the sleeve hangs off him precariously. The tie that he'd removed earlier is still looped with a knot, and without hurry, he untangles it by pulling at the silk material and deliberately drops it to the ground.

Next, the shirt slides off soundlessly and he turns to fix Kyouya with come-hither eyes.

Kyouya takes a step towards him; Kaoru takes a step back purposefully.

Kyouya pauses where he is.

Kaoru makes to remove another article of clothing and senses that Kyouya is about to protest –

He silences his lover with a haughty tilt of his head.

A small smile plays around Kyouya's mouth.

Kaoru proceeds to undress completely, and abruptly halts when Kyouya screens his eyes using the glare off his glasses.

"Take off your spectacles."

His recalcitrant partner remains immobile, not wanting to disarm himself before he's had the opportunity to lecture Kaoru.

"Take them off." Kaoru is more than willing to stalemate him and he knows it.

After a soft exhale, Kyouya complies.

Kaoru feels his pulse quicken at those wonderfully mesmerising eyes and struggles not to lose his mind. He accomplishes what he'd set out to do, and when he is utterly unclothed and vulnerable, he pads across the floor lithely and presses his entire body into Kyouya's.

"You see," he whispers, shamelessly trailing open-mouthed kisses on his lover's neck, "I am one of two people on this planet to truly know this relationship inside out, and in the past few minutes alone you have ceded to me at least three times."

Kyouya laughs with a hint of breathlessness.

"Do you think I'm easy?"

"No," Kyouya says sharply, arms curling round his waist.

"Then, believe me when I say that it didn't affect me. In the span of four years I've thrown myself at you countless times – if you don't think of me that way, why is it an issue? I understand why all of you were – are – infuriated; if it had been directed at Hikaru I would be plotting and orchestrating their demise, but I'm going to make it clear that I lied only because I knew it would hurt you to know I heard it and not because I feel humiliated or cheapened in any way. Although usually I would say that your problems are mine too, in this case it really is your problem – if you want to take them down, it's fine by me. If you don't want to, it's also fine by me. I won't think you're not defending my honour or something stupid like that, and even if it had been horrible, you've given _me_ the ultimate victory. Does this adequately answer everything you wanted to know?"

"Most adequately," Kyouya murmurs, backing him towards the bed and pushing him onto it. "This has expedited things considerably."

To rile him up, Kaoru stretches into an indolent sprawl after helping to untuck Kyouya's shirt, waiting for his partner to shed his clothing as if he isn't burning up inside from heart-stopping need. Kyouya knows what he's doing and he's falling for it anyway, taking on something dangerous and predatory and so delicious, climbing on top of him to pin his wrists to the sheets. Everywhere that they are in contact, it is scalding his already superheated flesh.

Pliant body with insolent eyes – again to show his lover what he can have but persistently spurning him until he cracks, until he is torn apart, until he is consumed by the mindless desire to _claim_ to _possess_ to _mark physically_ –

Kaoru hooks a leg around Kyouya's hip and leans up to scatter a few aggravatingly light kisses on his collarbone, stroking his abdomen with splayed fingers like he wants to go sweet and slow instead of hard and frantic and destructively passionately – before he will let that happen, he must see the Kyouya from earlier, the one who'd been powerful and defenseless, smitten and addictive, the one _on the brink_ –

There he is.

Kaoru barely has time to register it before he is obliterated by a searing, commanding kiss, and he thinks no more.

.

\-------

.

He wakes up alone, with a fluttery warmth in his body that lets him know that he had been held all throughout his sleep, and experiences a moment of agonising panic.

The whirr of the plane engines orientates him in the present, and he flops back down on the pillow trying to calm down.

 _It's real, it's real_ , he repeats to himself like a mantra. _It really happened and Kyouya is yours now._

Usually the lingering memories captured within his body are not given the opportunity to ripen into this hazy contentment – either one of them would have had to crawl out of bed to sneakily return to their own rooms in the middle of the night, often having to dodge their friends on the same 'host club reunion' vacation with them; the handful of times they had both dozed off had been excruciating upon their return to lucid reality, the pain equaling the stolen pleasure, yet nothing, _nothing_ matches the loss of falling asleep to Kyouya and waking up without.

Kaoru finds a suitcase that contains his things, grabs a change of clothes and has a quick shower. He slathers on moisturizer while thinking ill of his grandmother and uses the static to style his hair, giving it volume and spiking the ends such that it is apathetically bed-tousled and effortlessly polished.

Lifting the shades unveils a black sky outside – the flight time from Tokyo to New York means that they'll arrive at their destination at basically the same time they'd left – pre-dawn, that is, and this must mean that they're close.

Kaoru enters the main cabin amidst the drone of pragmatic voices and verifies his speculations: Kyouya had had to leave him because there is so much unfinished business and life rolls onwards inexorably. Otherwise, there would have been no way sleep-deprived Kyouya would plough through documents that must have a whole tree's worth of paper contained in just one folder. The purplish discolouration underneath his eyes causes a wrenching twist in Kaoru's chest – how can he bring himself to blame Kyouya for the past three months or for not accompanying him until he'd awoken?

He is openly gazing at Kyouya with what he suspects is a lovesick expression when Tachibana notices him. Kyouya swivels his head in response to Tachibana's reaction and Kaoru smiles.

"We are about two hours from New York," Kyouya says. "You could have rested more."

"Are you in a position to say that?" Kaoru laughs lowly, mindful of Hotta napping in a darkened corner.

"I had every intention to rejoin you, preferably before you became aware of my absence," Kyouya informs him dryly, and Kaoru feels a rush of validation. "Are you hungry?"

Aijima had risen to fetch some food for him even before he nods.

Kaoru toes off his shoes and brings his legs up on the seat, enjoying his unhindered view of Kyouya as he eats his fruit salad where he wouldn't disturb them. They are talking about other shareholdings that Kaoru hadn't heard a peep of in _Haiku_ just now – Kyouya really has outdone himself and Kaoru wants to do _more_ to be able to stand beside this person whose achievements had and continue to demolish Kaoru's misconceptions about what is possible and inspires him to perform similar feats. Every time he'd thought he would cave from the stress of doing two degrees, from managing CI, from pandering to anyone and everyone who would be advantageous to have on side, from the chain of internships that he'd thought would crack his brain in half to multitask the multi-disciplinary projects – sometimes he'd pace like a caged feline, sometimes he'd cry, sometimes he'd trash his project, but always he'd remember Kyouya and that amazing work ethic… and it puts everything in perspective, giving Kaoru the strength and willpower to carry on.

How is it that someone like that had risked everything to be with him?

After his meal, Kaoru unearths his sketchbook to ponder over and formulate his plan of action for the foreseeable future, to meet or exceed the targets set for him, to be an asset and not a hindrance – he looks at his draft outline, slightly alarmed at what a crazy ride it will be.

He can do it, he can.

He will become someone deserving of this person.

A hand through his hair snaps him out of his reverie.

"I fear," Kyouya asserts, taking a break from his work to exercise his habitual omniscience, "that you may be thinking something extremely silly or harmful. This particular face always unsettles me and makes me anxious to ascertain what is running through your mind in order to correct the errors that can potentially grow into something damaging."

"What face?" Kaoru flips the book to another page and grins cheekily. "My face is very pretty, is that why it unsettles you?"

"The one where you look sombre and determined and a little bleak, with eyes that glower seemingly at yourself," Kyouya sighs, sinking down beside him. "And 'pretty' is not the word I would use to describe you either generally or specifically."

"Did your team rest at all?" Kaoru asks, concerned. Tachibana and Aijima have gone into the galley, presumably in search of breakfast for themselves.

"Yes, they did. Don't change the topic."

"You want to talk about how beautiful you think I am?" Kaoru rests his head in his lover's lap.

"I want to talk about what you were thinking about, and despite being a better choice than 'pretty', 'beautiful' is not the word."

"Now I'm really curious. What's the word you'd use?"

"Perhaps I may tell you someday. Hotta, since you're awake, you may as well join your colleagues for food rather than pretend to be unconscious."

Horrified, Hotta springs up with an apology and scoots off.

Kaoru shakes with quiet laughter.

Out of the blue, Kyouya says, "I'm sorry that you are saddled with the burden of my father's expectations."

Kaoru stares at him incredulously. "Who's thinking silly thoughts now?"

"It can sap the joy out of everything. That is not something I ever wish to happen to you, not least because you channel your emotions into your art."

Dead serious, Kaoru replies, "It would have been easier to elope, but everything of value has to be fought for. I don't mind paying the price for this if it means that your family accepts me. Frankly, I'm falling over myself to thank them for giving me the chance at all. I'll never be nasty about Akito-san again."

"I _was_ surprised," Kyouya concedes. "Then I realised why he agreed. Akito-niisan doesn't know whiich he would pick in my place – the inheritance, or a loyal lover. He doesn't have the iron-cast confidence of Yuuichi-niisan; in fact he tracked my actions because he was wary that I would surpass him – that is to say, he'd felt insecure. To him, the idea of a person who would do for him what you did for me must be exceptionally appealing, even if he's resigned himself to an arranged marriage. In a choice between an inheritance that will likely never be his, versus a companion who can transform that insecurity into courage, who will infuse his life with meaning and provide a reprieve… that is why he understood."

"I think Akito-san would choose the companion," Kaoru offers.

Kyouya smiles and says nothing.

"And, given that you chose me, why should it be a hardship to me to have to conform to your family's expectations? I know that it seems cool to be uncaring about what other people think. I know that epic romances always have to beat out all the other relationships otherwise the love between the parties must not be deep enough. I could be that stereotypical Hitachiin daredevil and say that I don't care about gaining your family's acceptance, but that doesn't really sound like love to me. We wouldn't be here without the host club, so that's a debt that I cannot forget. You owe your family your _life_ , and for all the competition amongst you and your siblings, you've never let anyone badmouth them. If I don't care about the people you care about, you'd never have found me attractive from the start, would you? There's no excuse that will justify me treating our friends or your family poorly – and if I claim that I only need you or you only need me, that's _idiotic_."

Kaoru lifts himself to almost-straddle his lover.

"You were born an Ootori, and it's part of your identity. You will be one until the day you die – even if you had been disowned, that blood still runs in your veins. _I understand this._ That's why, because I want to be with you, I want to be part of your family. I will meet Ootori-sama's expectations; please believe in me."

"I never doubted you for a second," Kyouya replies in a lush voice.

.

\-------

.

"On second thought, this fairy tale romance involves too much work," Kaoru says mere hours later. "Where is my happily ever after?"

"Giving up so soon?" Kyouya smirks from the archway of the front entrance.

Kaoru thinks of glaring at him, then reconsiders when he pictures the image of the dashing villain that dark chuckle indicates he will be.

"When Hikaru said 'you can't miss the files, they're on the dining table', I didn't think he meant that the house _only_ has a dining table," Kaoru grumbles, meandering through the empty, undecorated penthouse to explore its rooms. The location is admittedly fabulous and the interior is spacious and light-filled.

"You're the design prodigy _and_ my partner," Kyouya points out reasonably. "Whyever would I endorse any other designer for our home? I shudder to imagine how you would have reacted if I'd let someone else do it."

"Mm, yes, you'd better not," Kaoru says distractedly, engrossed in his study of the layout. A vision is forming in his head – this house, no, _home_ , is going to be grand by the time he's done with it.

Kyouya wanders around behind him indulgently, not getting in the way and not rushing him.

"Oh, bed too," Kaoru comments when he comes across the furniture.

"Yes, it is my sole input to the design aspect of our home. The dining table is a gift from Hikaru – he says you've had your eye on it for a while. You have plenary power over everything else."

Kaoru snorts and tests out the mattress that is still wrapped in plastic. Of course Kyouya gets to select this item – a side-effect of sleeping with the Low Blood Pressure Evil Lord, who only deigns to slumber in custom-made beds.

Wait…

"Everything else?" Kaoru echoes.

"Everything else," Kyouya confirms.

Try as he might, he can't suppress the wide grin creeping across his face. "Even your study?"

A long-suffering sigh. "… Even my study."

 _You must really love me_ , Kaoru thinks, richly amused.

"Tomorrow, we have an appointment with your parents for dinner. We'll be staying at the Roi Grand on Park Avenue in the meantime."

Appreciatively, Kaoru says, "Tono's so useful."

"Where there are pros there are cons," Kyouya pronounces, tongue in cheek.

It'll be tough, having to reshuffle his study and work commitments to construct a whole new life. Kaoru calculates the amount of things he has to do while strolling through the kitchen space – it is really overwhelming. Each day will be crammed full; there'd be hardly any time left for Kyouya. Does Kyouya already know this – know what it entails to meet Ootori-sama's standards? How will they survive four years of as-good-as separation? Wouldn't it be ironic if Kaoru lost Kyouya in the process of solidifying their relationship?

How very bittersweet.

Idly, he checks out some of the papers on the dining table and enters the drawing room once more, standing in the middle yet a million miles away, worrying about the future that awaits them.

Arms encircle him from behind; a ring box is held out in front of him, an exquisite and highly unorthodox engagement ring encased within.

Kaoru covers his face with a hand and laughs. "… Really?"

Wordlessly, Kyouya nuzzles his neck.

With the padded bit of his index finger, Kaoru touches the large, vibrantly coloured, intensely hued gem surrounded by swirls of platinum and pavé diamonds – the delicate swirls are the tail feathers of a phoenix, its beak and small wings discernible against the blaze of the centrepiece jewel. The ring has an otherworldly feel to it – _ethereal_ , the term that commonly characterises Kaoru's masterpieces.

"This size is essentially a cocktail ring, you know," he sniggers slyly, feigning ignorance, "but I guess one can't have too many party rings. I'll wear it for the next ball I attend."

"You're meant to wear it all the time on the fourth finger of your left hand," Kyouya tells him.

" _Really._ People do that with their engagement rings, but I was not aware of any such question being asked."

Kyouya shoots him a hilariously unimpressed look.

"Anyway, purists will totally balk at this ring. How much did Tono harass you?"

Kyouya raises his other arm from where it had been coiled snugly around Kaoru, unclenching his fist to reveal another ring box, traditional brilliant cut diamond set in a slim, elegant band.

"Nooo!" Kaoru hoots with mirth. " _That_ much?!"

"Actually, he acknowledged that the phoenix ring is precisely to your taste," Kyouya discloses. "He was very good about it – that you are unconventional and that I will oblige you. It's _our_ relationship, after all. He did, however, incessantly bring up the significance of diamonds in our conversations, and it was as talking to a brick wall to explain to him that these romantic associations originated from marketing ploys and/or established practice, or that the stone in the phoenix ring _is_ a diamond, albeit coloured, and at any rate we agreed that you are fond of collecting accessories. They can be worn stacked on the same finger, or one on each hand, or interchangeably as suits the occasion, therefore I saw merit in his logic."

Kaoru is doubled over by the end of his sentence, dying from laughter.

"I – I see," he wheezes, supported upright by Kyouya. "Yes, I can switch between bold and subtle – I can see you've put a lot of thought into their design; in fact, even the traditional ring is to my tastes. Thank you, they're lovely."

"Kaoru," Kyouya brings them toe-to-toe, "I did not wish for a four-year engagement."

"I know."

"The following four years will be _worse_ than the previous four."

"I know."

"It's likely we will spend half or more of that time apart."

"I know."

Kyouya falls into a hush; they do not exchange trite, trifling promises that may be defeated by time and tide.

Tenderly, Kaoru combs through his lover's fringe. "But at the end of four years, you'd like to marry me."

"I would. Irrespective of whether you pass my father's tests."

"Will you exert all your effort to make it happen?"

"Yes."

"So will I. I will have faith that we can live through this; I will have faith in _you_."

Kaoru extends his hand for Kyouya to slide both rings onto his finger.

"And I, you. If we weather this storm and our relationship stays alive, we will have a certainty that ordinary people can only dream of."

"That's enough for me, for now," Kaoru says, and lets himself be kissed senseless.

.

― _fin_ ―

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't actually know why Yoshio was being so reasonable. HAHAHA. It's manga!Yoshio, I guess. He just resisted all my efforts to make him reject the star-crossed couple, being all "excuse me I am more reasonable than this thank you very much I can see the merits and I _am_ a parent and pride is not worth more than concrete benefit". I want to continue writing the next four years so badly – poor Kaoru, he has _no idea_ what he's in for and Kyouya doesn't yet realise that he's going to utterly fail at protecting Kaoru – because it totally turned out more bittersweet than I'd intended it to and I want them to be happy TnT. Anyway, if you dislike reasonable!Yoshio, I could always write an alternate version where he disowns Kyouya for your angsty pleasure. Anime!Yoshio, lol.
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, and especially if you liked my characterisations, please consider checking out my other Ouran fanfics. They are currently hosted only on fanfiction.net (under **potionwine** ) as I have not yet had the opportunity to host them on ao3. My main ongoing project is a big fic called _To Become One Seventh_ , and it explores the characters in depth through a story that is essentially a continuation of the manga. Thank you very much.


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